Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

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Lampman5
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Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

Post by Lampman5 »

Hello

Can anyone identify this unique Bakelite & steel reproducer that is only marked "Made in England"?
Guessing it is from a child's phonograph and appears to be very well made. It is 2 ½" in diameter.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks
Steve
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Phono48
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Re: Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

Post by Phono48 »

It's from a "Peter Pan" miniature machine.

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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

Really? I don't think I've ever seen a Peter Pan machine with a plastic soundbox... Is it pictured in any period catalogue or advertisement perhaps?

I suspect it's more likely to be urea rather than bakelite.

Lampman5
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Re: Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

Post by Lampman5 »

I have never seen a Peter Pan reproducer like this one.
May be an image of Peter Pan but not sure what type of machine this is from.

Since it is Marked "Made in England" hopefully someone from England may have seen this unit on a machine????

Phono48
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Re: Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

Post by Phono48 »

Lampman5 wrote:I have never seen a Peter Pan reproducer like this one.
May be an image of Peter Pan but not sure what type of machine this is from.

Since it is Marked "Made in England" hopefully someone from England may have seen this unit on a machine????
Yes. I have, which is why I posted the reply above. I had a machine with this soundbox way back in the late fifties. It was battery driven, and had a plastic case. It played records up to 7" diameter, and apart from the "Peter Pan" image on the soundbox, it had a transfer showing the same image on the front. I imagine it was new at the time, but can't be certain.

Barry

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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

All right, so it doesn't belong to the Peter Pan micro-gramophone we're all accustomed to.

By searching with keywords "peter pan plastic phonograph" on google images few pictures came out of something which may be similar to what Barry remembers:

Image
Image
Image

Phono48
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Re: Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

Post by Phono48 »

Those look to be of the same age as the one I had, but not identical. I wonder if these were by the same manufacturer who made the familiar folding machines we instantly recognise, or if they were a completely different and more recent firm?

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poodling around
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Re: Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

Post by poodling around »

Lampman5 wrote:Hello

Can anyone identify this unique Bakelite & steel reproducer that is only marked "Made in England"?
Guessing it is from a child's phonograph and appears to be very well made. It is 2 ½" in diameter.

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks
Steve
I came across one of these sound boxes (amongst many others)on the internet and remembered this thread so thought it might be of some interest :

http://www.londonauctions.co/lot?id=101718
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poodling around
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Re: Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

Post by poodling around »

I came across one of these sound boxes and remembered this thread so thought it might be of some interest :

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auct ... 2100b09e69
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mrrgstuff
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Re: Identification of English Made Bakelite Reproducer???

Post by mrrgstuff »

I'm pretty sure this is the same basic soundbox as the one I was 'restoring' in this video:

https://youtu.be/1C4dx5h7TOc

Somebody commented on the video that is made by "Goldring Lightweight No 50 & dates from the early nineteen fifties, they were supplied in display boxes of six ( in three different colours ) to dealers by the wholesalers Lugton & Co Ltd , the trade price being seven shillings +two shillings & fourpence purchase tax . Goldring had been making soundboxes since the nineteen twenties"

I had a look at this website:

https://www.goldring.co.uk/heritage

This shows (in an advert) a picture of 6 of these soundboxes (the one in my video - not the one with figure and birds on) packed in a display box and makes reference to the fact there was 3 different designs (not 3 colours). I have a identical one with a different blue plastic front - and I believe the one which is the subject of this thread (with the figure and birds on) is the 3rd one referenced. In the pictures below there is only one white one - just the front and back of the same one
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