The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

The attached photo includes a description of a micro perophone machine from 1926 which is just before the Chromogram era.

I think this is the machine described in the article.
Please advise

It appears to be, according to the label inside the lid...

It also follows the description of the horn mouth exiting in the space behind the motor board in the same manner as a portable. He describes it as Model MP3 which would probably make it the first ever MP3 player.

Who knew...? A hand cranked MP3 player...

I would love to know what the pattern is for the horn in this machine. Does it work like a portable horn or is it inside down the back of the cabinet and coming back up through the top?

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:I would love to know what the pattern is for the horn in this machine. Does it work like a portable horn or is it inside down the back of the cabinet and coming back up through the top?

Its the strangest thing. A piece of paper in the case titled Cullum's Patents with a reference to 13722/26 and 16850/26 and a dire warning about infringment and the consequences.

See attached photo.

What an interesting folded horn, somewhat futuristic in design! This gramophone is really a "portable on steroids", with legs and all.

It would have been easy to design a horn both longer and with a larger mouth, without changing the position of all other parts, but once again it hasn't been done and I wonder why.

Marco Gilardetti wrote: It would have been easy to design a horn both longer and with a larger mouth, without changing the position of all other parts, but once again it hasn't been done and I wonder why.

Yes, I'm surprised they did not fill the entire space available. Another aspect of the machine is the very thin wall thickness enclosing the space itself. As a result it is a very resonant cabinet. The woodsides and back are a mere 6mm or ¼" thick which leads me to believe that the entire cabinet is designed to resonate in sympathy with the horn. The lid is only slightly thicker as also is the motorboard and it also resonates. Clearly the horn is designed to drive the entire cabinet.

If they ever bring the phonograph back, this is the first machine they need to copy. Make these--not the massive Credenzas and whatnot that are hard enough to give away. Make a simple, straightforward, lightweight machine like this.

I wish they were find-able in the United States. It's an interesting piece for sure. Thanks for the pictures of the horn! It looks like that weird blackletter-font S that kids draw on bathroom walls, but with a phonograph stuck to it. The angles make me wonder if it was built by the people behind the Plano-Reflex tonearm,