Succeeding Years

1955MBSI purchases a Mimeograph machine for printing “The Bulletin”.
1956Six Bulletins printed since the last meeting.
1957Annual business meeting with 64 attendees is held in a Rahway, NJ auditorium.
1958Nearly 100 attend the Annual Meeting; A Board of Governors appointed by the president is established.
1959Tenth 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.”
1960First Advisory Board is elected.
1961Bylaws amendments proposed to establish geographical rotation of Annual Meetings.
196232 Southern California members meet to establish the first chapter.
1963Dues raised from $3 to $5 with a $3 initiation fee. Foreign memberships remains at $3
1964First Annual Meeting held in a hotel, Long Beach, CA; first table favor given.
1965East coast members meet to discuss formation of an East Coast Chapter; officers are authorized to incorporate MBSI as a nonprofit, educational organization.
1966December Bulletin is professionally printed and assembled for the first time; Publications Committee formed; Mid-America Chapter formed; first membership incentive program initiated.
1967Membership over 500; Society incorporates under a charter from the New York State Education Department.
1968New membership brochure created; tax exempt status achieved.
1969Smithsonian Institution named as recipient of MBSI property if the Society is dissolved.
1970Golden Gate Chapter formed.
1971Membership over 1000
1973Membership over 1500; first table favor with a musical movement given at the Annual Meeting banquet.
1974Silver 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
1975First 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.
1976First Mid-Am Band Organ Rally; National Capital Chapter is chartered;
1977Opening of MBSI Sounds of Music exhibit at Western Reserve Historical Society
1978Southeast Chapter receives charter; MBSI membership over 2000; Directory of Members and Museums has first computerized records.
1979Membership over 2500
1980Over 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.
1981Instruments owned by the East Coast Chapter are transferred to MBSI; first Band Organ festival at the Annual Meeting.
1982Sunbelt and Snowbelt Chapters are chartered
1985Over 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.
1986A Membership is defined as a Household Membership allowing votes of two members per household.
1987The 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.
1988MBSI is given original Regina Music Box Co. factory shipping record books;“Technical Journal” is renamed “Mechanical Music”.
1989First New Member Reception at an Annual Meeting; MBSI is bequeathed a fine instrument collection for its museum program.
1990Piedmont 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
1991Endowment Fund is established.
1992Ellinberger collection bequeathed to MBSI; first outside administrator hired.
1993First budget is established; second MBSI-AMICA joint meeting held
1995Darlene Mirijanian Creativity Award is established; MBSI exhibit opens at the Charlotte Museum of History;
1996Publications Fund is established; first web site is established; largest Annual Meeting with 769 registered; Weber “Maesto” and “Banj-Orchestra” reproductions are introduced
1997The 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
1998Japanese International Chapter is chartered; new MBSI Traveling Display is unveiled
1999Fiftieth Annual Meeting held in Philadelphia, PA; Endowment Fund now more than $100,000; the “Golden Anniversary” book is produced.
2001Trustees 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.
2003MBSI sponsored museum display opens in Marietta, OH.
200455th Annual Meeting Orlando Florida
2005Lake Michigan Chapter Chartered
200556th Annual Meeting a Joint Meeting with MBSGB – First Annual meeting outside US
2006The Journal and News Bulletin are combined into one publication, Mechanical Music with the first issue Volume 52, No. 1, January-February 2006
2006Morris Museum breaks ground for future exhibit space for the Murtogh Guinness Collection
200657th Annual Meeting – Seattle Washington
200758th Annual Meeting – St Paul Mn – Featured visit to the Crawford Collection – the only collection still intact that belonged to a founding member of the Society
2007Gala Opening of the Murtogh Guinness Collection at the Morris Museum
200859th Annual Meeting – Las Vegas NV – with auction with consignments from across the U.S.
200960th Annual Meeting – Morristown, NJ
201061st Annual Meeting – Dearborn, MI
201162nd Annual Meeting – Rockville, MD
201263rd Annual Meeting – Redwood City, CA
201364th Annual Meeting – Chicago, IL
201465th Annual Meeting – Weston, FL
201566th Annual Meeting – Torrance, CA
201667th Annual Meeting – Minneapolis, MN
201768th Annual Meeting – Whippany, NJ
201869th Annual Meeting – Detroit, MI
201970th Annual Meeting – Rockville, MD
2020CANCELLED – Originally scheduled to be held in San Fransisco, CA, but global pandemic forced organizers to postpone