unusual mission oak edison on craigslist in PA

[brianu]

I came across an interesting edison on craigslist the other day, what appears to be a B-60 but with a stand and lid added to create the appearance of a mission oak style floor model. one of the fabrizio/paul books has a photo of a similar floor model machine in this mission style, but there are several differences, among others: it's a cylinder player, it appears to be completely one piece (rather than machine with stand), the grill only has vertical slats to match the vertical slats in the lower portion of the cabinet, and those vertical slats in the lower area are on the sides (with openings in front and back) rather than in the front and back.

any way, I still thought it was an interesting machine.


http://york.craigslist.org/atq/1265531076.html

[Kirkwood]

Dang! If this was a year ago, I'd already be in the car, cash in hand, burning up the pavement to York to get this. As it is now, all I can do is look and wish. *sigh*
I was never entirely certain why so few companies made full-out Mission (or Arts & Crafts) type cabinets, especially in the 1910s era. Yeah, it was getting to be out of fashion by the 1920s, but there was a wealth of machines produced in that pre-WWI era. The popular taste, if viewed via the mail order catalogs, would indicate that the Mission look held on almost until WWI.
But here we are---a simple oak mission-type upright----this is a pretty good example, too. I knew that Edison produced a short-lived Amberola in a Mission case, and have seen few of those over the years (none, in fact). Whoever gets this one, I'd be interested to know what their opinion of it is.

[brianu]

... right, but this doesn't appear to be an upright, rather a table model b-60 on a matching stand with a lid constructed for it as well. the cylinder model on the other hand, which is in one of the books, is a one-piece (aside from the lid) floor model.

[JohnM]

The Edison Amberola IV in the F/P book used to belong to me. I can vouch that is a one-piece cabinet constructed very similarly to an Amberola III but with stylistic differences, of course. I used to own a beautiful 1911 redwood Arts & Crafts-style bungalow in the canyon in Sierra Madre, California and the house was furnished completely period. The Amberola IV and the Victrola 8-7 were the only A&C-style phonographs I ever owned so they were displayed in the living room that was mostly Limbert and L&JG Stickley. The Amb IV looked horsey next to the more finely proportioned pieces, but the 8-7 fit right in.

John M

[Kirkwood]

True enough, brianu---it IS a B-60 on a stand with an after-market (homemade?) lid. Likely in person I'd have been rather less enthusiastic about it, since the craigslist images I was seeing earlier were pretty darned small. I had forgotten the Victrola 8-7, which is a great choice for this Mission-style look. Maybe someday...

But I was reflecting on this. It seems like I have seen a library-table-as-phonograph unit someplace, in a Grand Rapids Mission Oak style. Was it posted on one of the earlier message boards? I know that Columbia made versions of this type phonograph, but I was thinking it was a non-Columbia unit. While it wouldn't be a Mission-Oak-Upright like I'd wanted for years, it would be a period example in that style. Of course, right now I can't collect anything, so all I can do is look and wish. But sometimes wishes do come true.....

[JohnM]

Kirkwood --
Columbia did make a Mission-style desk Grafonola and other Grand Rapids-type companies probably did make versions as well, but I've just never seen any. Also, the Columbia school Grafonola on it's 'tea cart' base is very A&C-looking.

John M

[Garret]

Well gents,

I discovered this on craigslist a few days ago, and am actually pursuing this machine. If I get it, I'll fill you in on all the details!

[edisonc250]

The best book on Edison Phonographs.
http://www.mulhollandpress.com/ed.htm

[AZ*]

Interesting. I happen to own a B-60 I bought a couple of years ago.

[Aaron]

Deleted by management

Mike,

I hate to tell you, but you really have NO proof he made ANY profit on the machine he sold. And besides, we never said Whittingon couldn't make a profit, i believe we said it was strange that a new phono collector would go and sell such rare machines as soon as they came into his possession. I'm sure many of us here have made a profit, but I'm sure for most, like myself, those things were only sold AFTER we enjoyed them to the fullest, or we needed money, the offer was to good to refuse, and so on!

Wow......
Aaron