German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

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Phono48
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Re: German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

Post by Phono48 »

Here's another one, a Polyfar. A neat refinement is the lid clasp on the front, which doubles as the needle container.
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Phono48
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Re: German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

Post by Phono48 »

Yet another! A Dual machine, again with the electric/spring motor, this one a bit earlier, the voltage selector is an earlier version.
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old country chemist
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Re: German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

Post by old country chemist »

Really nice machines all of these, and thank you for placing them for us on the forum.
Now. I am enquiring about a "German" soundbox-the "LINDEX 401" FOR ELECTRICAL RECORDINGS, well advertised on Parlophone record covers and elsewhere in the later 1920s. Has anyone every seen one, or does anyone own one?, as I have never see one of this type in all my years as a gramophone collector. I would be very pleased if anyone has any information. Thanks.

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nostalgia
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Re: German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

Post by nostalgia »

Thank you once more, Barry for showing parts of your excellent collection of German portables. This is a wonderful reference too, and showing portables that are totally new to my eyes, and I am sure also to many others on the forum. :)

For "old country chemist": I am showing a photo of my Parlophone Lindex 301, that must be a younger "brother" of the Parlophone Lindex 401 you look for information about. What I have come to understand is that the "Lindex" name was used for both Odeon and Parlophone portables, I have owned one Odeon Lindex ( that I gifted away last summer), and also have recently seen a Parlophone Lindex for sale, looking exactly the same as the Odeon Lindex, with the same Lindex name put on the record album under the lid, the only difference I could spot was the Odeon/ Lindex name used on the needle container and trademark logos used on the portable, in addition to Parlophone/Odeon Lindex name engraved on the soundbox. The Parlophone Lindex soundbox I am here showing, was attached to a Victor iii that I bought a couple of weeks ago, but will now be fitted to a Parlophone portable I own. I can myself not say if the Lindex name also was used for bigger Parlophone/Odeon machines than portables or not...
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old country chemist
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Re: German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

Post by old country chemist »

Hi "nostalgia" thanks very much for placing on the forum the two pictures of the "Lindex 301" It looks interesting, and at least, has a good stylus bar suspension arrangement. I must hjave got it wrong-it must be, as you say, "Lindex 301". I sometimes wonder how manufacturers market their various products with a number-it seems a random number to me, but who knows what they were thinking about when designating a number to a specific product.
Yes, fine portables indeed, and such good condition. A joy to see. I have never really been a "suitcase" gramophone collector, and I have never owned a German portable. the only one I have that is foreign is a small 1923 "Bebephon" child's machine, which is French.

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Re: German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

Post by epigramophone »

Although my Caruso portable has been featured elsewhere on the forum, I am posting pictures of it on this thread as I think it may be German and hope that someone here can confirm this. There is no maker's name anywhere on the machine, but the motor is a German made Steidinger (later to become Dual) and the speed control is marked in English and Italian. The soundbox also bears the Caruso name and closely resembles the HMV No.4.

The machine was for sale on an on line market place in Sweden, and Martin (nostalgia) kindly assisted me with it's purchase and shipping to the UK.
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NEKTREG
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Re: German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

Post by NEKTREG »

Phono48 wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:57 am Here's another one, a Polyfar. A neat refinement is the lid clasp on the front, which doubles as the needle container.
I‘m sorry that I won‘t answer to every post which shows a machine, but there already to many.
This is a Polyfar Raumton Nr.1 - Polyfar was a brand by the „Deutsche Grammophon“ and Polyphon. The story behind this former HMV daughter is written on many different sides (more or less correct...)
The machine was made between 1932-34 and was a part of a very small range of machines the Deutsche Grammophon introduced. In the catalog of 1931 were much more different machines, but the falling sales in the depression ended this range
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NEKTREG
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Re: German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

Post by NEKTREG »

Phono48 wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:01 am Yet another! A Dual machine, again with the electric/spring motor, this one a bit earlier, the voltage selector is an earlier version.
Dual (Gebr. Steidinger) mainly sold the famous Dual hybrid motor to many companies all around europe. By using there name they also could sell some of these machines on there, own but this wasn‘t there main business. Most of the parts like the case, soundbox, horn... were bought from other suppliers, like many did in the later 30s.
Because of the early break and voltage regulator I think you machines was made around 1931-35. I sadly don‘t own a ad for the Dual Portable
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Phono48
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Re: German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

Post by Phono48 »

Looking at Emigramophones' "Caruso" above, it occurs to me how many similar features are present on a Linguaphone of mine. Same Steidinger motor, which would have come with the speed control and winding handle, but not the needle pot and autobrake, which are again, the same. Was there maybe a manufacturing connection between the two machines?

Barry
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Re: German portables...Odeon, Parlophone etc.

Post by epigramophone »

Phono48 wrote: Sun Jan 31, 2021 10:06 am Looking at Emigramophones' "Caruso" above, it occurs to me how many similar features are present on a Linguaphone of mine. Same Steidinger motor, which would have come with the speed control and winding handle, but not the needle pot and autobrake, which are again, the same. Was there maybe a manufacturing connection between the two machines?

Barry
Linguaphone sourced their gramophones from various manufacturers, making it difficult to discover who made yours, and possibly my "Caruso".
In 1924 they were offering the Waveola portable as a suitable machine for their language courses, but some of their later portables have Garrard components.
As the business styled itself "The International Linguaphone Co. Ltd." it is possible that machines were also sourced from outside the UK.

Roger.

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