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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1975-03-20, Page 13110th Year- No. 12 Thursday, March 20, 1975 boxes ed u.' biggest collection in Canada Murray Draper of Clinton Love of inusic liked it and wanted one, so I delicate mechanism. an 1840 placed the brass Y g were produced by These , . discs were easy to OrgansEuropean that suitedeuntil I foundt'sone Murraydel,featuring a larger 'American an and Murray me." That's how model, replace and cheap to buy, urlitzer MuDraper of Clinton cylinder and specializing in costing about 60 cents each. manufacturers.reated wseveral years ago. Nowng music boxes 20 plays Ais 1860 t the con- Because the disc box allowed a Comp he can describe p y eightperson to accumulate an modelsdbetween nw1906 the most years ago. the Mo and demonstrate the elusion. of beginsthe eight nelections, unlimited number of tunes, progression of mechanical the cycle again. cylinder box was soon regarded popular.thousands of production period for the as impractical and old- Band O d Organs were destroyed; music from the 1800s to modern 1 5 rodu880 reresented the hundred day. peak Pfashioned.few ndolin zither" was Murray owns an 1890 German remain. only course, they and The first instrument to bring cylindertime'maxes• During that which lays 15 /2 � dare not for mechanical music into the int disc box, P cylindere tone, a metal discs.. The largest collectors items an music was called the "cylinderdduing introduced. In addition the Disc Box sale, company any music box" It originated during mandolin efect was attained AmericanA North Dakota P the 1820s. paper cover on the metal manufacturer was the Regina created . a -modern "mandolin Company, at one time em- recently Each soundbox contained a with a to ing 800 workers. version of the original Band brassspring motor. powered by helda bar. Murray'sLast year, Murray motor. The cylinder zither" plays eight tunes, in- p purchased a custom s ring > > Murray's's 1902 Regina disc Organ. P "Home Sweet Home. box is a combination of a 20x/4 Draper thousands and pins, which were eluding 1880, bells, drums and of the Model custom m marked placed by hand. By inch disc music box and a 78 built copy laya steel castanets had been added to the m phonograph. To convert 1921. BandHonstru ed in 1973. one of Beside shaped cylinderke vert three of the disc box to a gramophone, The 100 organ pipes, the shaft like a comb. As 1880 cylinder Oneacontainswa a must attach a largeand the bass drum the pins struck slowly revolved, Murray the the teeth of the short steel comb at each end, a silver horn. A wooden snare drum perforated then plays on a plastic needle wax are controlledum by a p comb sounding the individual row of bellsorgan at the ban the ck. Atop This machine is or gay paper roll. Most rollspf contain notes Most a tune. each bird disc. playfor about 24 sold for $995. ten tunes and cylinder boxes bell perches a tiny then they rewind and originatedd i s bs Switzerland, bute carvedenfrom modelmewasMknownay's The success of the disc box minutes; then they rewind Any was short-lived, spanning only replay soonAmeest subsidiaries were second rch a box" known years. Edison's phonograph replay tune can is repeated, scan established. The Swiss as an "orchestra because 15 •t included drums and 11 d its doom In 1904, in a and a new roll can be installed on a powered by 'a springy motor, plied music for skating arenas, << music box; I and plays four tuneshowever, metal discs re- amusement parks and merry - I saw a disc In 1964s cylinder. o -rounds. •Thousands of Band cabinets were - carved from 1 European wood, similar to our castanets. walnut and oak. In the United cylinder $200� ne thecost price ofea States, mahogany and walnut $100 cases were used. complete cylinder box r often chen $500 — an Murray stands beside his 1902 Regina isc boxwhich The was a combination disc music box and a phonograph. some walnut cabinet stores several Ve0 r inc metal dl iscs and the machine could be changed o phonograph records in a fewmo utes. It record was onplayere of the predecessors of today's mode As more manufacturers lea days.Thus entered the music field, the etitive cylinder boxesthose were pul~chased business became compeo le. and specialized. Each maker primarily by wealthy rosettes searched for , innovations that Meanwhile, would attract the public to his providedh musical en - product. This practice tertainment for the less af- resembled today's industry. fluent families. Costing ap- The oldest cylinder music proximately $5, an organette box that Murray Draper owns could be found 1 in to almost every Two was created in 1828. It is the home bet panies — American o smallest of then original boxes cOrganette and The Gem Roller Company — vied for the public's attention. Murray is proud to demon- strate an American Organette;-"' which operates tth a o diffeent per- forated paperroll. tune is stamped on every Each hole represents one note and the length of , the per- foration dictates the length of restaurants. A person inserted time the note is held. The a nickel in a slot in the side of original rolls were inexpensive, the cabinet; he then adjusted a but in Murray's Gem Roller lever to the number of the song Organette, the rriechanisrui he wanted to hear. For 5 cents, of a called a "cob" instead- functions with a stocky cylinder he heard two tunes — the onehe T selected and then the disc next paper roll. to it. From 1820 to 1885, the main Even this amazing in - source of mechanical music novation couldn't save the disc consisted of cylinder boxes and box from the invasion of the organettes. A few Swiss, gramophone. Edison invented Austrian and Japanese com- the phonograph around 1878, ponies continued to specialize and by 1900, :w.,, klonograph inthe cylinder box after its companies were in full swing. peak period of popularity. To Two United States' contrast his antique collection, manufacturers — Edison and Murray exhibits a tiny modern Columbia —competed for the music box, about one-quarter consumers' dollars. the size of the origital 1828 Included in Murray's collection is a 1902 Edison invention. It plays the familiar ['home from Dr. Zhivago." phonograph plus several Around 1885, Germany in- Columbia machines. His 1905 troduced an innovation call the Columbia gramophone features "Disc Music Box" Like the a large horn on the top of the cylinder box, the disc box was wooden cabinet. In the 1910 model, the volume is regulated by vents, which open in the front of the case. amophones Murray claims the By 1920, all gr boasted single play, spring arrangements of the older motors and automatic s.hutof. . tunesaresuperior. ra switch, the Th.e, best.... phgno.gri P ? _ baand:.:: – _ Mu ray's possession is ay 19125 miisic Of-a'du'lirtle military -band Columbia. emaciates from . one.. source -- records the Band Organ. Murray's The first phonographP "star were formed from wax. They description of the aorg a,t"stae. r were stamped on only one side; of the show,"eat climaxes s the other side remained blank. pulsating a Later'two records were pressed provocativesampleal musiVie- together to provide two history of playable sides. The makers "If no one saw my Band r finally conceived the idea of Organ ois boxeswould recording on both sides. Murray concludes, At this point, Murray be of little value. But if a few n Draper's music box collection people enjoy cosemy c ols gd ectand seems complete. Through his hearing hobby, one can see the history becomes Asa sideline toehis hobby, of mechanical music fromhas embarked on a cylinder box, through the brief Murray ro ect to mark popularity of the disbX, to musicall,Centennial. He is the successful phonograph.an original Doherty One can hear the music that restoring our ancestors listened to, and organ built in the Doherty follow the technical progress Piano and Organ Factory in that led to our modern home Clinton in 1890. served in Ebenezer The Church entertainment — radio, television and stereo. until it closed in 1951. now works But there's more! Because MurraY he is "Now I'll show you the star of at thialP.ianot Fast d ,in the the show," Murray proudly espec Y announces. "It's a real crowd vintage gems appropriategan. His Centennial pleaser!" project s The star of the show is a Murray Draper'is well-versed of mechanical Military Band Organ. During in she e history the 1920s, Band Organs sup- • spe a to quickly. final desperate attempt las original salvage the disc box, the The organ plays introduced ' rolls, and MurraY has obtained Regina . Company of tunes — the forerunner of the jukebox. a wide variety y and marches. This machine anger, which Although an waltzes, mlkasodern hits are automatic changer, controlled twelve discs. ' "Jukeboxes" were installed in public places — theatre lobbies, railroad stations and By 1875, bells were includedin the some from the teeth nder boxes, and gave an added dimension ago was painstakingly keyboard. Each music box a century g handmade with each of the thousands of ease featurespvoryins dually inserted. This impressive oak The oldest music box in Murray's perfectly. The brass cylinder, which teeth of a steel comb sounding atone , • collection is this 1828 cylindermodel, and heich pi s strike the ll works contains thousands of pins, for each note. .ssSsi'>fb S.h%Y,,.k7.��£jNZc,«; v� /.. ... � > photos hg Jim Fllzerald Band Organ is the star of the Murray's replica of a 1921 Military s a wide range of tunes on its Standing nearly perforated tape and air lines, the organ plays or a show. Running from soorganplaying a waltz, or a polka 100 organ pipes, drums and cymbals. The of any musical nthusiast• march is enough to send a chil down the spine six feet high, available, F, humble about his collection, Murray Although he is very probably has one of the finest �boxessie ox are inlections ln n working condition if not North America. All of on tours of the 0 - and Murray will take small groups of people room. He restored marry of the boxes himself. ---.story by Elaine TasheRf Using inexpensive 151/2 inch metal discs, this 1890 German music box became the rage in many homes in the 1890s, and made the older cylinder box obsolete.