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Our Long History

A brief history of music boxes
Prior to Thomas Edison's invention of the home phonograph in 1896, a music box was one of the only forms of musical entertainment available in the home. Invented in Switzerland by Antoine Favre in 1796, it became popular in many European countries. This popularity spread to the west. In America, aristocrats used several forms of music boxes to satisfy their entertainment needs. From automata to the first cylinder boxes, music finally made its way from the orchestra halls into the homes of countless Americans.

History of the Porter Music Box company
Founded in 1974 by Dwight and Mary Porter, the Porter Music Box Company revitalized the music box industry by manufacturing the first large disc style music box in the United States, in over fifty years.

In 1973, Dwight worked for Lloyd G. Kelley, successor of Regina Music Box Company. He acquired a love for the music box and starting with thirty five dollars Dwight built his first Porter Music Box on his kitchen table in 1975. At his first Musical Box Society meeting in 1975, he sold three music boxes.

During the early years of the business three very special people helped put Porter Music Box on the map. Ruth Bornand, owner of the very successful Bornand Music Box Company. Ruth supplied repair work and helped with the purchase of the Porter's first home in Randolph, Vermont. Louis J. Hoone of Springfield, Massachusetts, a retired railroad signalman, and his wife Cozette, collected music boxes and dolls for many years. Louis was an ambassador of goodwill and his home and collection were open to all. For 8 years he hosted a music box Christmas show with Tom Colton of WMAS in Springfield. Many of the music boxes seen on that show are on display in the Museum. Without Louis's guidance, advice and encouragement, we would not be where we are today.

Finally, Ina Salierno of California was instrumental in spreading the availability of Porter Music Boxes to the West Coast and she was our first distributor.

The product line was expanded in 1978, business boomed, and in April of 1980 we moved to the Greystone property, just outside of Randolph.

We released our first album the next year, Music Box Christmas. The album was a recording of a new model, the Twin Disc that plays two discs simultaneously. The second album, Music Box Waltzes and Popular Tunes, was released in 1982. This release included newly produced tunes on discs for the first time ever. Two years later cassette tapes of these same albums were released. In September 1993, the Porter Swan Elite, which plays a 12 1/4" disc, joined our line of music boxes.

By 1994, we had released twenty additional titles since those first two in the early eighties!

On December 22, 1994 we proudly opened our doors to the public for the first time, with the opening of the Porter Music Box Museum and Gift Shop. The museum houses an exquisite collection of music boxes, including several from the collections of Louis Hoone and Ruth Bornand.

With customers as far away as Japan and Europe, we have built a world-wide reputation for producing products of the utmost quality, integrity, and with the finest craftsmanship available anywhere!

Come and See What's New at Porter's

The Robert Hayes Leavitt Collection
Beautifully Displayed in our one room 1835 Schoolhouse

Robert Leavitt started collecting at the age of eight. Born in 1922 to a family of collectors, the natural outcome is that he would himself become an avid collector. His interests were varied, and as he once told me, if they made more than two, we collected it".

Four generations of Robert's family have lived in Lebanon, NH in the same home since 1870. In all those years, seldom did anything get thrown away! Thus, I personally have spent over three years sorting, cataloging, and transporting the items you will see displayed.

An Incredible Tour in Which You Will See :

Christmas decorations from 1880 up to about 1962.
Children's toys from a 1792 barking dog to Robert's grandfather's wooden blocks from 1865 and early cast iron toys made by his Great Grandfather.
Robert also collected buttons, his favorite being vegetable ivory made in Gaysville, Vermont.
A large collection of post cards, Victorian fans and Native American beaded work.

Be sure and visit the Schoolhouse when you visit Porter Music Box. It will be an experience you will not soon forget. The displays are wonderfully laid out, creating a great atmosphere and bring history alive.

Porter Music Box Co. Museum has won the prestigious Yankee Travel Magazine President Award two times - in 1998 and in 2003.

A good portion of the Native American collection came from Frank and Clara Churchill of Lebanon, NH. Mr. and Mrs. Churchill visited Indian reservations in the U.S. and Alaska around 1890-1906. At one time they had the largest collection of Native American items in the Northeast. An especially exciting piece is a strike a lite or medicine pouch once belonging to Sitting Bull.