The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

The speed control/brake mechanism is the earlier style Columbia speed/brake mechanism, i.e. earlier than the Standard Model A. If I recall the Standard Model A in its first incarnation dates to about 1910, so this machine would probably be earlier than that, say ca. 1906-08.

Thinking some more about this. The crank escutcheon is a simple pressed-in ring similar to other early Columbia models like the AH and BI and AK. And like the even earlier cylinder models. Later Columbia models used an escutcheon plate fixed with two screws.

Interesting enough I ran across this you tube video that has a striking resemblance .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6f55Nv7ZhM

Thanks for posting the video. I think you now have an argument in favor of the two horn support pieces being original to your machine, not so much because they sum to the right length but because there is another machine with the same configuration. I seldom state anything definitively--I leave that to the experts--but two machines with the same set-up are better than one, three are better than two, and so on. A period ad would be great, but the video is very encouraging.