Gramophone with Wooden Horn
Wojciech Migacz – Artist/Creator
1918, Gostwica, Poland
Museum of the Land of Miechów

The designer of the gramophone, Wojciech Migacz, was born on September 7, 1874, in Gostwica near Nowy Sącz, into a prosperous farming family of Józef and Maria née Szczygieł. In 1890, he completed primary school in his native village. From 1890 to 1894, he attended the Imperial-Royal Specialized School of the Woodworking Industry in Zakopane, where he qualified as a turner and woodcarver. Between 1894 and 1897, he served in the army in the 20th Galician Infantry Regiment of Prince Prussian Heinrich in Kraków.

In 1902, he returned to Gostwica, where his parents had entrusted him with several morgas [a unit of land measurement]. Farming, along with turning and carving, was a secondary occupation for Migacz. Instead, photography became his passion and main source of income. Running a business without formal qualifications—something Migacz lacked—subjected him to numerous challenges from the District Authority Office in Nowy Sącz. Nevertheless, during the period of the Second Polish Republic, he photographed extensively, primarily capturing weddings, funerals, and individual portraits on commission.

Wojciech Migacz passed away on December 24, 1944. His photographic collection is now preserved at the District Museum of Nowy Sącz.