The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Discussions on Talking Machines of British or European Manufacture
Post Reply
Dodgydave
Victor Jr
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:00 pm

Re: The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Post by Dodgydave »

I'll put the photos (hopefully) in the trader section.

User avatar
sigurbjorn
Victor O
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2014 8:07 pm
Location: Iceland
Contact:

Re: The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Post by sigurbjorn »

Here is one photo with my Perophone Chromogram M.P.23. Not been repainted or rebuilt.Just as it was made 15/3 1929
Attachments
Icepero
Icepero
Last edited by sigurbjorn on Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Henry
Victor V
Posts: 2624
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:01 am
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania

Re: The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Post by Henry »

I'm guessing that, with such a configuration of the tone arm, the tracking error must be quite small, IOW effectively almost straight-line. Certainly better than your conventional Vic or Ortho machine.

That very clever counterweight recalls the "anti-skid" counterweight on my Pioneer P112D turntable. "Everything old is new again."

From the photos, it looks as though the workmanship here is outstanding!

old country chemist
Victor II
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:06 pm

Re: The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Post by old country chemist »

Greetings all, just time to add a picture or two (if I can remember how to do it), of my MICRO-PEROPHONE CHROMOGRAM SERIES MAHOGANY MODEL. I collected it recently from a chap who does french polishing, He did say that the finish was fairly good. Plays very loudly, even with soft tone needles. Fitted with 5mm diameter gasket in front of diaphragm, and ordinary 3mm gasket in the back. I hear that a model 30 has turned up. They were classed as suitable for music societies, etc. Fine machines, but do not play as loudly as the small machines. My model 23 was punished badly by Royal Mail Parcelforce, and sustained a broken front leg, two large cracks to rear rails, and a dented lid. After much form filling and submitting photographs, and an estimate from an antique restorer to repair damage, I managed to get some of my money back. I will try sometime to send a picture of the unusual sound box of this machine, as it was fitted with TWO frontal gaskets. Both were rock hard when removed. One was brown, the other off-white colour. When removing the old finish, which had turned into an alligator skin type varnish, I was dismayed to find that the veneer disappeared when carefully wire wooling the old finish off, which I did with a mixture of with Benzyl benzoate, Amyl Acetate, acetone and spirit. The veneer must have been a very thin transfer...? I looked on "Images" to try to find a suitable pattern, but to no avail, sadly. I would really like to find the largest models, either no 27, in oak, or no 28 in mahogany, then I would be very happy, but I suppose there is very little chance of that....?
Attachments
chromogram model 23 mahogany.JPG

old country chemist
Victor II
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:06 pm

Re: The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Post by old country chemist »

Here, hopefully is picture of the Micro-Perophone sound box from Model 23. Showing the double gaskets...? Both were so hard that they broke into pieces when extracted from the body. I had to carefully scrape a few bits off of the diaphragm, which gladly was in good shape, only needing slight flattening.
Attachments
chromogram soundbox before restoration.JPG

old country chemist
Victor II
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:06 pm

Re: The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Post by old country chemist »

I never thought I would find the time to put a few posts on this really good forum, but here is now, hopefully, a picture of my Micro-Perophone PORTABLE, the cheapest model with the single spring motor, Type 10L (I think) which cost £3.17/6d when new. I had to pay £75 for this rare portable in good order. Quality of reproduction not quite up to Gramophone Company or Columbia standards.
Attachments
MICRO PEROPHONE PORTABLE 002.JPG

Dodgydave
Victor Jr
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:00 pm

Re: The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Post by Dodgydave »

More photos of my Model 30 are now in Yankee Trader!
Attachments
DSCF6348 (300x450).jpg
DSCF6348 (300x450).jpg (175.3 KiB) Viewed 4198 times
DSCF6340 (450x364).jpg
DSCF6340 (450x364).jpg (217.36 KiB) Viewed 4198 times

old country chemist
Victor II
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:06 pm

Re: The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Post by old country chemist »

Hello all, and thank you to Dave (who I hope is not dodgy) for placing pictures on this forum of the unusual model 30, in quite acceptable condition. These machines deserve better appreciation from folk other than from the few that know, and own them. I first read about the Micro-Perophone Chromogram machines in about 1964 in an article called "Looking Back" from The Gramophone magazine of that year, which recalled articles from the paper fron the mid to late 1920s. Ever since then I felt the need to secure one of the models, patented by Mr Cullum, and probably designed by the Beltona Peridulce inventor, Captain Barnett, and interesting chap with unusual ideas on acoustics, who was particularly active in the gramophone feld in the early 1920s through into the 1930s.The Chromogram series of machines do not fetch big money like the Gramophone Company's machines. I exchanged a Beltona Peridulce 1924 machine for my model 30 two years ago, and have been pleased with it's performance, but as I said before, it does not mean louder sound from the bigger machines, just more bass response which of course, would be expected from a larger internal horn. I have three of these interesting machines in my record room. The Crescent tone arm and the weight adjuster are very useful things to have on any gramophone. I have never seen two Chromogram machines with the same type of auto-brake. On my three, each one has a different style of stopping mechanism.

old country chemist
Victor II
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:06 pm

Re: The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Post by old country chemist »

Here is some information on Captain Barnett, the gramophone experimenter and inventor connected with the Chromogram machines.. This was given to me some time ago by one of my gramophone chums, Roger Mackey. Interesting chap Cpt. Barnett.
CAPTAIN HENRY THEODORE BARNETT M.I.M.E., WHO DIED ON THE 8th APRIL 1944 AT THE AGE OF 78, WAS CONNECTED AS A YOUNG MAN WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACCUMULATORS, AND IN THAT SPHERE ALONE HAD DONE NOTABLE WORK. HE HAD. HOWEVER, OTHER INTERESTS AND SERVED IN THE TOWER HAMLETS RIFLES AND IN THE ROYAL DEFENCE CORPS. HE ALSO TRAVELLED WIDELY, HIS CHIEF INTEREST IN MIDDLE AND LATER LIFE WAS MUSIC AND SONG, AND HE WAS A PIONEER IN THE REPRODUCTION OF SOUND BY GRAMOPHONE. HE WAS AN INTERESTING AND FREQUENT CONTRIBUTOR TO THE TECHNICAL PRESS ON THIS SUBJECT, AND INVENTED THE PERIDULCE GRAMOPHONE. HE NOT ONLY ENJOYED LIFE HIMSELF BUT HELPED ALL AROUND HIM TO DO LIKEWISE, AND THIS TRAIT SHONE OUT BRIGHTLY WHEN HE HIMSELF IN OLD AGE, DEPRIVED BY ENEMY ACTION OF ALL HIS POSSESSIONS, WAS IN POVERTY. HE JOINED THE INSTITUTION (THE INSTITUTE OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS),AS AN ASSOCIATE IN 1884 AND WAS ELECTED A MEMBER IN 1892.

A sad end to what seemed an interesting man in the gramophone field.

Dodgydave
Victor Jr
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:00 pm

Re: The Micro-Perophone Chromogram

Post by Dodgydave »

Another forum member has now purchased this machine; I hope he does a nice restoration and posts some more photos. I'm glad it's gone to a good home! (Oh and I'm not really dodgy, it's just that I own a WW2 Dodge Weapons Carrier and that's what I get called in our Military vehicle club!)

Post Reply