The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here is a much better "after" photo. That's a plugged hole you see under the "PH" of "PHONE".

After some experimentation, I then preserved the decal panel of this early BN. I did not use GoJo because not sure I wanted the shiny look GoJo seems to impart.. I had to remove some mud wasp residue, which you can see in one of the attached pictures. That task was done with some mildly soapy water applied with a small artists bush. Also used turpentine, again applied with an artists brush. Finally I mixed a small amount of ethanol in turpentine and gently went over the entire panel with a soft cotton cloth. This lifted some more dirt. Anyway, not perfect but better than it was. The first photo is the "after" picture, and the other is the "before". I suppose it's a matter of taste, but I prefer preserving the original decal no matter how imperfect over applying a new one. And my goal is not to make my machines look new.