Rolmonica Player Harmonica
date: label: date made
content: after 1925
name: label: maker
content: Rolmonica Music Co.
notes: label: Description
content: <p>The Rolmonica Music Company created this instrument by mounting a removable 12-note harmonica made in Germany into a hinged Bakelite (plastic) frame. The frame has a simple crank mechanism and a mouthpiece to simplify playing tunes from paper rolls that sold for 10 cents each. The Rolmonica was patented and introduced in 1928, and marketed with a package of four rolls for just one dollar. The performer had to only turn the crank and blow.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>While the idea of self-playing instruments operated by a paper roll was popularized by the piano, such technology was applied almost every type of instrument imaginable from player banjos, harps, accordions, and saxophones to violins. It is surprising to find the player technology applied to the harmonica since it was already a universally simple instrument to play. Considered to be an inexpensive novelty or a musical toy, it was sold as "a player piano in your pocket."</p>
label: Description
content: <p>The harmonica is engraved:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>ROLMONICA<br>Made by ROLMONICA MUSIC CO.<br>Baltimore, Md<br>Made in Germany</p>
label: Description
content: <p>(and cast on the inside of the case):</p>
label: Description
content: <p>PATD 11-3-25 OTHER PATENTS PENDING<br>6-5-28</p>
label: Description
content: <p>This instrument features U. S. Patent #RE16986E, dated June 5, 1928, a reissue of U. S. Patent #1560497, dated November 3, 1925 by Joseph Le Roy Banks for a musical instrument.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Maryland, Baltimore
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Popular Entertainment
label: See more items in
content: Harmonicas
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The Peter Kassan Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1988.0783.556
label: accession number
content: 1988.0783
label: catalog number
content: 1988.0783.556
objectType: label: Object Name
content: harmonica
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: bakelite (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: harmonica: 2 5/8 in x 5 in x 3 7/8 in; 6.6675 cm x 12.7 cm x 9.8425 cm
label: Measurements
content: roll: 3 5/16 in x 15/16 in; 8.41375 cm x 2.38125 cm