The long awaited list of Japan made Columbia gramophones
Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 4:17 pm
I have come across this list of chronologically sorted Columbia gramophones on a Japanese website, most probably belonging to a Japanese auction house. I can however not guarantee that all the gramophones shown are made exclusively in Japan, since collectors may during the later decades have imported some US/UK made Columbia gramophones, and later on put them up for sale through the auction house.
BUT, when carefully looking at the models, it is however no doubt that the list is extensive and a majority of the models shown are unique for the Asian market. The Columbia experts and collectors, should be able to check and identify what models are exclusive for Japan/Asia or not, or at least that is an interesting ( and time consuming) work in itself, but also something that I am at the time of writing not capable of doing myself, or even will try to do in this listing. I have also chosen to list all Columbia gramophones listed on the Japanese website, also the few who run on electricity, and leave the opinions and reflections to you readers.
Feel free to comment, of course. I feel such a list also was very welcome these days ( March 2020), some positive input, when media and the real world outside the forum is unfortunetaly full of mostly bad and sad impressions these days. Prepare yourself to be amazed and thrilled by photos of Columbia models rarely/never seen in the West. I unfortunately have only one photo of each model, and also have no chance to verify the model numbers, or that the info given is correct! Translation from Japanese is a challenge even for modern translator software. What I have is what you get.
But here we go, the first 4 models:
Colombian Tabletop: Model No. C2
Columbia Portable Model No. 9
Colombia Tabletop Model No. 20
Columbia Portable Model No. 21
BUT, when carefully looking at the models, it is however no doubt that the list is extensive and a majority of the models shown are unique for the Asian market. The Columbia experts and collectors, should be able to check and identify what models are exclusive for Japan/Asia or not, or at least that is an interesting ( and time consuming) work in itself, but also something that I am at the time of writing not capable of doing myself, or even will try to do in this listing. I have also chosen to list all Columbia gramophones listed on the Japanese website, also the few who run on electricity, and leave the opinions and reflections to you readers.
Feel free to comment, of course. I feel such a list also was very welcome these days ( March 2020), some positive input, when media and the real world outside the forum is unfortunetaly full of mostly bad and sad impressions these days. Prepare yourself to be amazed and thrilled by photos of Columbia models rarely/never seen in the West. I unfortunately have only one photo of each model, and also have no chance to verify the model numbers, or that the info given is correct! Translation from Japanese is a challenge even for modern translator software. What I have is what you get.
But here we go, the first 4 models:
Colombian Tabletop: Model No. C2
Columbia Portable Model No. 9
Colombia Tabletop Model No. 20
Columbia Portable Model No. 21