Symphonion twin-disc musical box with key and winding handle

Symphonion twin-disc musical box with key and winding handle, on base unit providing storage for discs, with sixty pairs of discs

The Symphonion Company started business in 1885 and produced the first disc-playing musical box. Its founders were Oscar Paul Lochmann and two partners: Gustave Brachhausen and Paul Riessner. Within two years however, these two men had left to set up the Polyphon company that made similar machines in competition to the original firm. In 1889 the Symphonion firm became a public company and it remained producing a variety of disc-playing musical box into the early to mid-1900s.

The Company was notable for the enormous diversity of types, styles and models produced. No other disc-playing musical box exists in so many varieties. Discs of the same diameter but of differing scales to suit two types of mechanism can be found. The company also pioneered the use of electric motors in disc musical boxes, the first model fitted with an electric motor being advertised in 1900. The company moved into the piano-orchestrion business and made both disc-operated and barrel-playing models, player-pianos and phonographs.