The Polyphon is a magical mechanical clock-work music box that was the direct descendent of the jukebox. Invented in 1870, the coin-operated Polyphon was found in taverns, restaurants, train stations, and wealthy homes up until the 1930s. The Polyphon plays songs from removable punched tin discs which make contact with a large, double-row 'musical comb' that sounds the notes when plucked.
The Theatre of Dreams is lucky to have one of these rare devices, along with a few dozen musical discs. Our machine operates just as it did in 1890, with a hand crank and shilling to start the music. We have taken great care to record each one of these discs directly from our Polyphon here in Port Costa. Multiple microphones were used to give a fully immersing sound. The music is rich and full, but also comes complete with mysterious mechanical whirring, metallic creaking, and the tell-tale coin drop that happens precisely half-way through each song.
We have chosen 14 of our favorite discs and made a compact disc of the recordings.
