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This 1906 postcard appears to show a Columbia Q but the reproducer appears to be black plastic like a Pathé one. It seems odd that so early on it would have lost its original reproducer and had a Pathé replacement. Any thoughts ??

Much as I would like to offer an opinion on the reproducer, my first thought on seeing the picture was that big noses ran in that family .

they sure are a fine looking family..

It's probably a Columbia gutta percha reproducer...

The Columbia 'Q' pictured is the earlier variant that has a brushed steel bed-plate. The reproducers supplied with those were fairly limited in their sound quality ,due to the small diameter of the mica diaphragm employed. The owner could well have purchased another reproducer with a slightly larger diaphragm which would have given improved results over the Columbia reproducer supplied with the 'Q'. Most of the phono stores of the day stocked reproducers with which phonograph owners could upgrade to if they so wished. The reproducer in the photo could well be a Pathé , but several other manufacturers offered similar composition bodied floating type reproducers. " Le Bengali " , " Polyglotte " , being two that seem to turn up more frequently than others. Regards Dulcetto

Judging by the cylinder boxes, the European spun aluminum horn, and the man's clothing, this photo was probably taken somewhere in Europe. That's a first-model Q, and the special Q reproducer which was supplied with it was a mediocre performer. Ditto for the 10" horn. I suspect that either the machine's owner or the shop that sold it substituted the superior Pathé-style reproducer and aluminum horn.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:Judging by the cylinder boxes, the European spun aluminum horn, and the man's clothing, this photo was probably taken somewhere in Europe. That's a first-model Q, and the special Q reproducer which was supplied with it was a mediocre performer. Ditto for the 10" horn. I suspect that either the machine's owner or the shop that sold it substituted the superior Pathé-style reproducer and aluminum horn.

George P.

Boy, you can miss a lot if you don't concentrate on the details... I only looked at the machine and reproducer, completely missing the spun aluminum horn and the people's clothing...