The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

That is really neat. I would love to have one in my living room. Since the wife wont let me have a regular machine in there, we could meet in the middle with something like this!

Great info!

Bill,
It was my grandfathers who was a performer on stage and broadway. He performed mostly opera and in the mid 1930’s he befriended an opera singer called Madame LaPuma. They were friends for years and when she left the opera she gave my grandfather her Horace Waters melodeon and her music book. He used to play and sing for us on Sundays. I will restore it one day for sure.

Yes they are waterslide decals Epi...

OldRestorer wrote:Great info!

Bill,
It was my grandfathers who was a performer on stage and broadway. He performed mostly opera and in the mid 1930’s he befriended an opera singer called Madame LaPuma. They were friends for years and when she left the opera she gave my grandfather her Horace Waters melodeon and her music book. He used to play and sing for us on Sundays. I will restore it one day for sure.

Yes they are waterslide decals Epi...

Probably not "Madame" but rather "Signor"--given that "G." initial on the cover, I'd expect the party in question was Giuseppe La Puma, a baritone active in various touring opera companies back when such things were viable. He also made at least a couple of records (I don't have any, alas). I found this info at a site that also sets out some key points of his career and has a photo:

http://forgottenoperasingers.blogspot.c ... -1870.html

Unless he was half of a husband-and-wife opera team or had an opera-singing daughter or some such?

Now, here's the next important question: did your grandpa make records?

I asked my mother and she said the book may not be hers. Mom said that she was a trainer for the opera and this was the organ in the theatre. I found some reference to Giuseppe La Puma in some of the opera ephemera in my grandfathers collection... That is very interesting.. I will have to chat with my uncle. He is the family historian.
As for the record question, Yes he was recorded but I have never found one. We have a set of records that he kept with no labels. I was too young to know what was on them. My uncle has them. I should find out...

You have me interested now...