Produced by the Universal Talking Machine Manufacturing Company, this high-end model was marketed as “Zon-O-Phone” from 1900 to 1904. Its standout features include a 30-inch brass horn to amplify its distinct sound and a glass side panel offering listeners a look at the intricate mechanics that brought to life early iterations of recorded music. At Villa Finale, that included jazz vocalist Seger Ellis’s 1928 recording of “I Loved You Then As I Love You Now,” as well as a seasonal holiday record. “I put myself into the shoes of these people back at the turn of the 20th century,” says Gonzalez-Pizaña. “[For many], this would be the first time they’re hearing recorded music, so to be able to see how this machine works must have been amazing for them.”
Though the Zonophone has fallen silent in recent months—its turning table has stopped spinning—Villa Finale staff members hope to restore it. That way its sound can once again ring out during the site’s popular “Music for Your Eyes” tours, which track Mathis’s love for music through the various musical machines still in the mansion.
