MBSI.org : About

                                                                              The Beginning

               After nearly a half-century of having been pushed into the obscurity of attic, barn, cellar and corner closet, and being replaced by more modern automatic musical instruments, musical boxes, nickelodeons and various other musical automata really emerged from limbo through the efforts of a small group who recognized their worth and decided to form an organization whose purpose was to increase the interest and knowledge about these instruments, and to aid in their repair and preservation by pooling the experience and information that the various members had gathered themselves.

               This group included Adrian V. Bornand, the last music box expert in the American branch of his family of Swiss music box craftsmen, and Lloyd G. Kelley, a recognized music box expert and successor to the Regina Music Box Company. Together they had contacted Dr. Byron P. Merrick, a collector and connoisseur of fine musical boxes and musical automata, regarding the formation of a musical box collectors' group.

               The invitation to organize such a group was extended by Dr. Merrick and also by a number of individuals who had done considerable groundwork by polling many of the known collectors of these instruments as to a society. The favorable response to this poll led Dr. and Mrs. Merrick to offer their home in Berlin Heights, OH, for the initial meeting and the date was set, October 15, 1949.
Quite a few people arrived the day before the meeting, and were given the freedom of their home by the Merricks. The collection of musical dolls, musical automata and musical boxes was demonstrated by Dr. Merrick, and Mrs. Merrick added to the interest by showing her Staffordshire porcelain figurines. The Merricks had arranged a dinner at the Methodist Church with the ladies of the church serving a dinner of Lake Erie Perch, a rare treat indeed to those who came from areas where this epicurean treat is unknown.

               On the following day, Saturday, October 15th, with Mr. Lloyd G. Kelley of Hanover, MA, acting as temporary presiding chairman, a slate of permanent officers was nominated and elected as follows: Dr. Byron P. Merrick, President; Mr. Lloyd G. Kelley, Vice-President; Mr. U.B. Lust, Secretary; and Mr. Clarence W. Fabel, Treasurer. After considerable discussion the name selected for the organization was "The Musical Box Hobbyists". Charter Memberships were voted restricted to those in actual attendance at the organization meeting and they are listed as follows:

An Honorary Membership was voted to Mr. John E.T. Clark of England in recognition of the considerable contribution to musical box knowledge he had made by the publishing of his book, Musical Boxes.

The First Five Annual Meetings Back to Top

First Annual Meeting, October 14, 1950, Indianapolis, IN

Held in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Perry Ghere

First presentations: "What to Look For in Buying a Music Box" (Glenn Heckert); "Refinishing a Music Box" (Marguerite Fabel).

Ghere and Fred Smith collections shown.

Officers elected: Dr. Byron P. Merrick, President; Lloyd Kelley, Vice-President; Ruth Bornand, Secretary; and Clarence Fabel, Treasurer.

Membership: 49

August, 1952

A series of articles from Hobbies Magazine is reprinted and distributed.

Two issues of the Bulletin are produced.

Third Annual Meeting, September, 1952, Berlin Heights, OH

At the home of Byron Merrick

First Mart

The News Letter is established.

Membership: 83

Fourth Annual Meeting, September, 1953, Hanover, MA

At the home of Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd G. Kelley

The name is changed from "Musical Box Hobbyists", to the "Musical Box Society, International."

Membership: 91

Fifth Annual Meeting, September 26, 1954, Dearborn, MI

At the Educational Building at Greenfield Village, Ford Museum.

The first pins and seals using the MBSI insignia are commissioned.

Membership: 108

Succeeding Years Back to Top

1955	MBSI purchases a Mimeograph machine for printing "The Bulletin".
1956	Six Bulletins printed since the last meeting.
1957	Annual business meeting with 64 attendees is held in a Rahway, NJ auditorium.
1958	Nearly 100 attend the Annual Meeting; A Board of Governors appointed by the president is established.
1959	Tenth Anniversary Special Bulletin, "Creation and Story of the Musical Box Society International" is given to members; the name "Board of Governors" is changed to "Advisory Board."
1960	First Advisory Board is elected.
1961	Bylaws amendments proposed to establish geographical rotation of Annual Meetings.
1962	32 Southern California members meet to establish the first chapter.
1963	Dues raised from $3 to $5 with a $3 initiation fee. Foreign memberships remains at $3
1964	First Annual Meeting held in a hotel, Long Beach, CA; first table favor given.
1965	East coast members meet to discuss formation of an East Coast Chapter; officers are authorized to incorporate MBSI as a nonprofit, educational organization.
1966	December Bulletin is professionally printed and assembled for the first time; Publications Committee formed; Mid-America Chapter formed; first membership incentive program initiated.
1967	Membership over 500; Society incorporates under a charter from the New York State Education Department.
1968	New membership brochure created; tax exempt status achieved.
1969	Smithsonian Institution named as recipient of MBSI property if the Society is dissolved.
1970	Golden Gate Chapter formed.
1971	Membership over 1000
1973	Membership over 1500; first table favor with a musical movement given at the Annual Meeting banquet.
1974	Silver anniversary Annual Meeting with 455 attendees; new "Technical Bulletin" is established; President's Badge is given by the Musical Box Society of Great Britain; Reuge, S.A. creates Silver Anniversary 144 note Sublime Harmony musical movement
1975	First Annual Meeting with an auction; first exhibit of music boxes at Lockwood Matthews Mansion Museum with instruments loaned from MBSI members; Northwest International Chapter receives charter; Trustees Award and Q. David Bowers Literary Award are established with initial funding from Q. David Bowers. MBSI trademark #1021775 is registered.
1976	First Mid-Am Band Organ Rally; National Capital Chapter is chartered;
1977	Opening of MBSI Sounds of Music exhibit at Western Reserve Historical Society
1978	Southeast Chapter receives charter; MBSI membership over 2000; Directory of Members and Museums has first computerized records.
1979	Membership over 2500
1980	Over 500 attend the Annual Meeting; 30 instruments donated to the MBSI, several of which are added to the Lockwood Matthews display; KT Special replica unveiled; Chapuis book translated and made available to members.
1981	Instruments owned by the East Coast Chapter are transferred to MBSI; first Band Organ festival at the Annual Meeting.
1982	Sunbelt and Snowbelt Chapters are chartered
1985	Over 600 attend the Annual Meeting with the first Mart open to the public; "Technical Bulletin" is renamed "Technical Journal" and size changed to 8-1/2 x 11.
1986	A Membership is defined as a Household Membership allowing votes of two members per household.
1987	The book, "Musical Boxes and Other Musical Marvels" is published by MBSI; Audio-visual Committee is established; first joint meeting (with AMICA) is held; "The Ampico Reproducing Piano" is published and offered for sale; President's award established.
1988	MBSI is given original Regina Music Box Co. factory shipping record books; "Technical Journal" is renamed "Mechanical Music".
1989	First New Member Reception at an Annual Meeting; MBSI is bequeathed a fine instrument collection for its museum program.
1990	Piedmont Chapter chartered; Music In Time exhibit opens at the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors with an exhibit catalog printed; first professional video produced and distributed by the Audiovisual Committee
1991	Endowment Fund is established.
1992	Ellinberger collection bequeathed to MBSI; first outside administrator hired.
1993	First budget is established; second MBSI-AMICA joint meeting held
1995	Darlene Mirijanian Creativity Award is established; MBSI exhibit opens at the Charlotte Museum of History;
1996	Publications Fund is established; first web site is established; largest Annual Meeting with 769 registered; Weber "Maesto" and "Banj-Orchestra" reproductions are introduced
1997	The West Coast Chapter is renamed Southern California Chapter; 1000 copies of the book, "Cylinder Music Box Technology" are given to MBSI for sale with proceeds going to the Publications Fund
1998	Japanese International Chapter is chartered; new MBSI Traveling Display is unveiled
1999	Fiftieth Annual Meeting held in Philadelphia, PA; Endowment Fund now more than $100,000; the "Golden Anniversary" book is produced.
2001	Trustees approve production of a professionally made video about mechanical music; MBSI museum exhibit opens at the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts. First Roehl Ambassador Awards presented.
2003	MBSI sponsored museum display opens in Marietta, OH.

AWARDS Back to Top

Lifetime Service Award
Ralph Heintz 2004 Q. David Bowers 2004
Marguerite Fabel 1999 Ruth Bornand 1999

Trustee Award for outstanding contributions to the field of automatic music

Q. David Bowers Literary Award for outstanding literary contributions to the field of automatic music.

Darlene Mirijanian Award given for creativity in the field of mechanical music in order to stimulate and encourage interest in producing new items of interest.

Roehl Ambassador Award, given for consistently endeavoring to introduce people to the field of mechanical music.

Technical Journal
Howard and Helen Fitch 1975 -1982

Mechanical Music
Angelo Rulli 1983 - 1999
Rosanna Harris 1999 - current