Description

Rolmonica Chromatic

The Rolmonica was the ultimate 1920s musical gadget. It was invented and then in 1922 first patented by Joseph Le Roy Banks. He then formed the company Rolmonica Music Co and the instrument went into production.

It was advertised as a pocket-player piano. A removable 12-note harmonica (made in Germany) was mounted into a frame. The frame was originally a metal “clam-shell” type casing. This was later altered to be made from Bakelite. Inside was a tiny punched paper roll you popped into the back. You didn’t need to know a single note of music to play it. You just blew in and out of the mouthpiece and turned the little crank mechanism. The moving paper did all the hard work… suddenly there was music!

There were at least four models of the Rolmonica. This one is the third, a 16-note chromatic Rolmonica which was launched in April 1930. The front face includes two US patent numbers RE16986, for the re-issue of Banks’ original 1922 application, and 1720991 for improvements to the metal-cased instrument.

Sold with a single starter song, the company offered additional rolls for purchase. Players could soon choose from an expanding library packed with popular Broadway hits.

The Rolmonica was distributed globablly and sold over mail-order giants such as Johnson Smith & Co and Montgomery Ward.

This Rolmonica Chromatic is in great condition and the package includes four titles:
R-2089 When It’s Springtime In The Rockies
R-2142 Goody Goody
S-2007 A Perfect Day
R-2092 When the Organ Played at Twilight

You can read so much more about the Rolmonica on John Wolff’s excellent website here He kindly uploaded some midi files of a Rolmonica Chromatic in action, for anyone to hear.

Here is roll number 2022 A Little Kiss Each Morning by Harry Woods from the 1929 film Vagabond Lover

Thanks so much John!