Machines With a Known History

[Django]

There was an article in the March 2018 Antique Phonograph magazine about the original owners of a Circassian Victrola VV-XVI. The machine was gorgeous, but the story was about the family and region. I have no previous knowledge of any of my machines. I can imagine that some of them may have been in fine homes and since this area was an artist community, it is possible that one may have been listened to by Maxfield Parrish of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, (my Columbia BII came from a local auction in Cornish), but more likely not. The Circassian Victrola VV-XVI owned and discussed by George Paul has a great provenance and got me wondering if any others in the group have machines with a heritage. It is a shame that the history gets lost, but not knowing keeps endless possibilities alive.

Anyway, I was hoping that others could share their machine's stories and maybe some photos. I wonder if George would have become the collector and historian that he is if he chose the other machine, (you have to read the article).

[Hailey]

I love the context of your post. I have expended much time and effort with my collection in an attempt to acquire machines directly from the original owners’ family and/or descendants of the family. As such, a wide selection throughout the collection comes with extensive provenance. Just one example of many...we purchased an absolutely fabulous Edison Doll from the great granddaughter of Ethel Celle Morris. Ethel was gifted the doll by her father, John Morris, who was a professor at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. We have a photo of Ethel sitting in a horse drawn surrey in the front of their house with the doll in her lap.
I have raised a few eyebrows as I have honestly admitted in other posts throughout the Forum that I have attempted to remain cognizant of the concept of investment while building the collection. This is an example of what I am referring to. A documented provenance of any machine will certainly add to the attraction of it. Especially if the item is rare.

[phonogfp]

I'm glad you enjoyed the article, Django. (I'm also glad to hear that The Antique Phonograph is arriving at the homes of APS members - - I think I'm always the last one!)

You may remember an article that appeared in the September 2017 issue discussing the history of the Type GG Graphophone Grand. The provenance of that machine was hanging by a thread by the time I acquired it. Fortunately, the name of the original owner, his address, and even a picture of his house as it looks today turned out to be within reach - thanks to one of the 19 five-inch cylinders that came with it, recorded by the owner.

I have a few machines that I took out of homes back in the 1970s and 1980s, but I regret that I wasn't as interested in specific provenance back then as I am now. Those children and grandchildren from whom I bought these machines could have shared names, addresses, and who-knows-what-else. Too late now.

George P.

[Lucius1958]

What little history I have on my machines is pretty sketchy.

My BZH, and my Standard B, belonged to my therapist's grandparents: likewise, the A-80 and the C-250 were bought from the grandchildren of the original owners. More than that I do not know.

[epigramophone]

This Columbia 204 was purchased new in 1934 as a 21st birthday present for one of my aunts, from whom I inherited it over 50 years ago. The 1947 Morris Eight was purchased by my wife's great uncle in 1952, and I acquired it when he gave up driving in 1973. The car and the gramophone have attended many shows together.

[epigramophone]

I purchased this very rare "Overseas Model" Columbia G-208 from the grand-daughter of the original owner, who bought it new in Hong Kong shortly before the territory fell to the Japanese in December 1941. Both the gramophone, which was probably made at Columbia's Kawasaki factory, and the owner made it safely to the UK.

When I saw it on eBay the photos were so bad that it looked like a black machine covered in mould. When I collected it in person I was pleasantly surprised :

[GregVTLA]

I purchased my VV-105 from the great grandson of the ioriginal owner, who purchased it in West Virginia new. It’s a pretty cool story for my first floor model Victrola.

[CarlosV]

I bought the French La Voix de Son Maître Bijou, shown below, from the grandson of the original owner. The curiosity is that I picked it up in the center of Lyon, in its original family home, which was only one block away from the shop where it was purchased - this is shown in the address label on the gramophone, shown in the other photo. Before any hopeful collector gets too excited, I walked to the address of the shop, and it is today ... a mere bank. No gramophones nor records inside, only some bored clerks.

[De Soto Frank]

I have just two machines with any sort of provenance...

The first is my Orthophonic VE 8-12X, which was originally owned by my maternal great-grandmother. Even though it left Camden as an electric VE model, great-grandma lived in pre-REA (Rural Electrification Act) Virginia, and this machine was retrofitted with a Victor four-spring motor, be a dealer, I presume.

It always lived in a dark parlor ( shades drawn, no kids allowed ), and eventually passed to a great-aunt, from whose estate I purchased it in 1985.

It is in very good shape, and I am the first person to work on it since if left VTM in 1927.


The other is a Victor XVI L-door, from 1909, whose serial plate bears the suffix "C", stamped-over previous "B" suffix. This machine came from a local antique dealer, who did a lot of estate clean-outs. The machine was another survivor of a dark parlor ( therefore, finish is perfect ! ), complete with all of its original VTLA-style box albums (mostly filled with "Patent-label" Victor records ), a few packs of Victor steel needles in black envelopes with gold printing, and the original bill-of-sale, hand-written with steel pen from John Wanamaker & Sons, Philadelphia: "Victrola & Records - $250."

The original owner's address was listed as 30 Mole St., Philadelphia.


The other semi-documented machine I have is an Edison "Home" D, bearing a brass dealer tag from "F. Lee, Compton, Calif."


About the closest I get to "provenance" with the rest of my collection, is the occasional dealer plate or decal.

[Herman]

Amberola50 bought by an underage buyer and had to be cosigned by his day. In excellent condition with even the original grille cloth although ripped. Also included was the original cylinders sold with the machine including desirable titles like Let us not forget and Josephine in flying machine and the Little Ford Rambled.

What is cool about this plain Jane Amberola is the Original Invoice included.