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Vintage Gramophones and Phonographs

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 Unknown Gramophone
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 Return to top of page · Post #: 1 · Written at 11:57:12 AM on 9 September 2016.
Jturley's Gravatar
 Location: Perth, WA
 Member since 9 September 2016
 Member #: 1972
 Postcount: 2

I have recently been left a gramophone that belong to my great great great Grandma and am trying to find out what type/manufacturer and how old it is. I cant seem to find a plaque with a name on it or any markings on it. Would anyone be able to advise me the best way to identify and date this beautiful antique?

Console Gramophone
Console Gramophone
Console Gramophone
Console Gramophone


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 2 · Written at 12:13:21 PM on 9 September 2016.
Robbbert's avatar
 Location: Hill Top, NSW
 Member since 18 September 2015
 Member #: 1801
 Postcount: 2014

Please supply some photos.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 3 · Written at 1:13:07 PM on 9 September 2016.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 28 January 2011
 Member #: 823
 Postcount: 6687

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 4 · Written at 7:19:46 PM on 9 September 2016.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7301

Photos uploaded.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 5 · Written at 7:49:40 PM on 9 September 2016.
Robbbert's avatar
 Location: Hill Top, NSW
 Member since 18 September 2015
 Member #: 1801
 Postcount: 2014

I've seen this type of wind-up gramophone at the Trash & Treasure markets from time to time.

But I can't help with the brand or age.


EDIT: searching around the net seems to indicate possible WW1 vintage.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 6 · Written at 8:44:14 PM on 9 September 2016.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7301

possible WW1 vintage

Most likely, as this was the primary form of nightly entertainment before radio took off. Before gramophones, people made their own music with pianos.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 7 · Written at 12:17:50 AM on 10 September 2016.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 28 January 2011
 Member #: 823
 Postcount: 6687

That's a beauty. Obviously been very well looked after.

A mate of mine has one of similar vintage. I'll ask him about any labelling on it.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 8 · Written at 9:27:18 AM on 12 September 2016.
Jturley's Gravatar
 Location: Perth, WA
 Member since 9 September 2016
 Member #: 1972
 Postcount: 2

Thanks for all your help and looking into it for me. It looks like it was well looked after but I think we just got lucky as it has been sitting in my parents shed for the last 20 years under a rug.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 9 · Written at 8:19:18 PM on 12 September 2016.
Tallar Carl's avatar
 Location: Latham, ACT
 Member since 21 February 2015
 Member #: 1705
 Postcount: 2155

Send your photos to Resurrection Radio in Melbourne . They Do a lot of work with these beautiful old girls . I am pretty sure they could give you a little history on them.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 10 · Written at 9:05:55 PM on 12 September 2016.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 28 January 2011
 Member #: 823
 Postcount: 6687

Okay, my mate's model is a Viva-Tonal Grafonola by Columbia Gramophone Company, London, circa 1925.

It has a removable Columbia No 9 head.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 11 · Written at 4:16:28 PM on 3 November 2016.
Maven's Gravatar
 Location: Canberra, ACT
 Member since 23 August 2012
 Member #: 1208
 Postcount: 584

This looks very close to an HMV that my father inherited from his youngest aunt - along with a collection of tango and foxtrot records to which the aunt had partied hard in the late 1920s. My parents put an electric turntable in it about 1952 so they could play "microgroove" records - the signal was fed into the back of the Philips 124 Radioplayer that I have now (portrait on my ID picture).

The original mechanism sat in our shed until I was old enough to take it apart, but not old enough to put it back together again - about 10?. Strongest memory is the powerful smell of whale oil that had been used to lubricate it.

Maven


 
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