Columbia Model Q. Looking for some information.
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:50 pm
Hello. Thank you for allowing me to join this forum. I've only recently began my talking machine collection and last week bought my first phonograph, a machine that has always fascinated me.
The one I purchased was a Columbia Model Q, and seems to be of the early type. I know these machines are quite common in the States but being from the UK it is a much tougher task to find phonographs since we didn't make too many of them, and phonographs can be quite cumbersome to ship across the sea. But either way, this one turned up in the UK and I bought it.
The machine is in pretty good nick and the mechanics all seem to work. The horn and box are present, and the box decal appears to be original and in very good condition. The machine is, however, missing the winding key and the reproducer and a drive-belt, which has been supplemented with an elastic band. Nothing too major so I'm optimistic that I can get it working.
What I'm really hoping for is some information regarding the history of this model and, most importantly, if my machine can be pinned down to a specific year. The serial number on my machine is 635831. There is no 1900 Paris Exposition decal on the box. Were all machines made after the exposition given such a stamp? And if so, does that date my machine to before the stamp was issued (i.e. 1900)? The main decal on the box is of the the New York, London, Paris, Berlin type, so could this narrow down the date? Are there any other features which could help pin down a date?
The horn is seriously interesting. Firstly, it is massive, nearly half a meter in length, and has a giant bell on it. The weight of it tips the phonograph over, so I need to prop it up with a rod. It has a maker mark on it for Hawkes & Son, Piccadilly Circus, London. This company made brass instruments in the early 20th century before merging with Boosey to create Boosey and Hawkes. The serial number on that dates it to 1920. The marked part seems to have been sawn off a trombone or something and welded onto a rolled sheet of metal to create a crude DIY horn. The fact that a phonograph horn has been made post-1920 is a good example of how some people still used phonographs over disc gramophones.
The mechanics of the machine itself, as briefly stated above, appears to be pretty crisp. I managed to wind the spring a bit and let it spin and it did so very nicely. But I need a proper winding key to be sure. The reproducer is also missing, but can be easily sourced online.
Apologies for rambling on for ages. But I hope you like my machine and can possibly throw some light onto it and give some infor about dating or other things about it. Thank you very much. Cheers
The one I purchased was a Columbia Model Q, and seems to be of the early type. I know these machines are quite common in the States but being from the UK it is a much tougher task to find phonographs since we didn't make too many of them, and phonographs can be quite cumbersome to ship across the sea. But either way, this one turned up in the UK and I bought it.
The machine is in pretty good nick and the mechanics all seem to work. The horn and box are present, and the box decal appears to be original and in very good condition. The machine is, however, missing the winding key and the reproducer and a drive-belt, which has been supplemented with an elastic band. Nothing too major so I'm optimistic that I can get it working.
What I'm really hoping for is some information regarding the history of this model and, most importantly, if my machine can be pinned down to a specific year. The serial number on my machine is 635831. There is no 1900 Paris Exposition decal on the box. Were all machines made after the exposition given such a stamp? And if so, does that date my machine to before the stamp was issued (i.e. 1900)? The main decal on the box is of the the New York, London, Paris, Berlin type, so could this narrow down the date? Are there any other features which could help pin down a date?
The horn is seriously interesting. Firstly, it is massive, nearly half a meter in length, and has a giant bell on it. The weight of it tips the phonograph over, so I need to prop it up with a rod. It has a maker mark on it for Hawkes & Son, Piccadilly Circus, London. This company made brass instruments in the early 20th century before merging with Boosey to create Boosey and Hawkes. The serial number on that dates it to 1920. The marked part seems to have been sawn off a trombone or something and welded onto a rolled sheet of metal to create a crude DIY horn. The fact that a phonograph horn has been made post-1920 is a good example of how some people still used phonographs over disc gramophones.
The mechanics of the machine itself, as briefly stated above, appears to be pretty crisp. I managed to wind the spring a bit and let it spin and it did so very nicely. But I need a proper winding key to be sure. The reproducer is also missing, but can be easily sourced online.
Apologies for rambling on for ages. But I hope you like my machine and can possibly throw some light onto it and give some infor about dating or other things about it. Thank you very much. Cheers