Unidentified Toy Gramophone

[epigramophone]

I am unusually fortunate to have been married to a fellow collector for over 50 years. Although my wife's main collecting interest is mechanical music, she also collects children's records and recently purchased this toy gramophone in a distinctive Brown Crocodile finish.

The only wording on the machine is "Foreign", which in the UK between the wars was a euphemism for German when German goods could be hard to sell. To illustrate it's small size it is pictured next to my Brown Crocodile Columbia 112a.

In the absence of a manufacturer's name we have christened it the "SqueakyPhone", which says all that needs to be said about the sound which it produces. Any suggestions as to it's identity would be appreciated.

[Dischoard]

If small, inanimate objects can be cute, that this is adorable. Waiting to find out what it could be...

[old country chemist]

Yes Roger and Nicki-a very nice "juniors" gramophone, and it certainly looks in lovely condition. You may have to use LOUD tone steel needles to get enough volume out of it though! Great! I wonder if it is of French manufacture.....?

[nostalgia]

What a tiny and cute little gramophone:) It is amazing to see how many unknown gramophones that still turn turn up, so many years after they originally were manufactured. I hope it will be possible to know more about its origin etc.

[physicist]

I'd be inclined to agree with German manufacture. The tone arm appears to be identical to the one on the
Gama Pixie Phone:-

https://toyparadise.nl/product/gama-54- ... -with-box/

Gama toys. Founded in 1882, Nuremberg, Germany by Georg Adam MAngold.Gama was known for producing a variety of metal playthings.

[poodling around]

I am unusually fortunate to have been married to a fellow collector for over 50 years. Although my wife's main collecting interest is mechanical music, she also collects children's records and recently purchased this toy gramophone in a distinctive Brown Crocodile finish.

The only wording on the machine is "Foreign", which in the UK between the wars was a euphemism for German when German goods could be hard to sell. To illustrate it's small size it is pictured next to my Brown Crocodile Columbia 112a.

In the absence of a manufacturer's name we have christened it the "SqueakyPhone", which says all that needs to be said about the sound which it produces. Any suggestions as to it's identity would be appreciated.

This looks very similar to me.

It is speculated that it may be from Germany or Japan.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ ... 1775225602

[Inigo]

In Spain, our independent Columbia enterprise in the mid forties pressed language records for a Spanish academy of language learning by mail named CCC. They sold the records in albums, and this little toy gramophone for playing the records.
It's like a cameraphone, but has no motor nor horn. The simplest thing, with a small turntable and record fixing screwed clamp, from which a small crank protrudes upwards, with a tiny cup on top where you put your finger to spin the record. In the lid there's a tin tonearm and soundbox, and the sound is reflected on the lid. It's yet more simple than the Kammer&Reinhart.

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album-con-12-discos-de-gramofono-curso-de-ingles-ccc-album-original.jpg

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[Gramtastic]

I'm 99% certain it is a "National Band". The photos show a similar shaped case and a complete machine with an identical metal motor board and a nasty pressed steel tonearm the same as yours. . Despite the very nationalistic British look of the machines, the paper label on the case says "made in Germany" in very small letters, which would explain the "Foreign" on the motor board .

[Curt A]

I'd be inclined to agree with German manufacture. The tone arm appears to be identical to the one on the
Gama Pixie Phone:-

https://toyparadise.nl/product/gama-54- ... -with-box/

Gama toys. Founded in 1882, Nuremberg, Germany by Georg Adam MAngold.Gama was known for producing a variety of metal playthings.

I think Gama is correct. The Gama Pixie Phone has the exact same stamped reproducer and tonearm...

[epigramophone]

Nicki and I have been pleasantly surprised by the interest this little machine has generated. Thank you one and all.

Between them, Poodling Around and Gramtastic have identified the design. The consensus seems to be that it was made in Germany by Gama and sold in the UK under the National Band name, although there is no trace of any paper label or lid lining material on our machine.