New Jersey, circa 1900, double comb instrument signed REGINA, serial stamped 21733 to bedplate, within a two-part carved upright mahogany case, featuring a heraldic shell pediment and turned urn finials, lower case decorated with fluted carved columns and scroll bracket feet, hinged fall front door with bronzed pull revealing upright slatted storage fitted with (15) 27 in. music discs. Includes case key and winding arm.

81 1/4 x 31 1/2 x 17 1/2 in.

Private Collection, Charlotte, North Carolina

Based in Rahway, New Jersey, the Regina Music Box Company was founded by Gustav Brachhausen (German, 1860-1941), as an offshoot of Polyphon Musikwerke company in Leipzig, Germany. Solving the problem that cylinder music boxes had with a limited tune list, the disc instruments offered a wider range of tunes with a deep full sound.

Instrument winds and plays intermittently with delays at time of examination; interior wood panel with some later screws; stop/start arm bent, Some surface scratches to case, primarily to moldings; upper case with losses to flush side base molding; front storage door panels with veneer shrinkage; some glue residue to cornice corner; round patch to upper side case (likely converted from coin operation); crack to lower back corner of storage base; lower posterior panel with later paint; interior storage with some chipping to storage slats; denting and rust spotting to discs; one disc wedged in storage.