Help needed to identify this machine

[drh]

I have a French phonograph - Le Charmeur - that resembles the one on the photo above, but it does not have the SN marking.

...unless, mind, it's an NS marking. Could go either way, and that will complicate searching, I should think.

Interesting that in the advertisement you linked the phono is playing the famous aria from Mignon (in English, "Knowest Thou the Land?"), not some pop ditty. I doubt anyone would take that approach advertising a playback device today! Also, it illustrates how operas come and go from the standard repertoire; back then, Mignon was so familiar it could figure in such an advertisement as instantly recognizable, but today I doubt one could say the same, even if someone were inclined to refer to opera in that way.

[CarlosV]

Interesting that in the advertisement you linked the phono is playing the famous aria from Mignon (in English, "Knowest Thou the Land?"), not some pop ditty. I doubt anyone would take that approach advertising a playback device today! Also, it illustrates how operas come and go from the standard repertoire; back then, Mignon was so familiar it could figure in such an advertisement as instantly recognizable, but today I doubt one could say the same, even if someone were inclined to refer to opera in that way.

Yes, operas are victims of fashion as much as clothing! There were multiple French operas that were very popular in the beginning of the recording era, and all but a couple (Carmen and Faust, and maybe Les Pecheurs de Perles as a distant third) are now almost as extinct as pterosaurs.

[CarlosV]

Are those aluminum ones with a spider difficult to find in Europe?

The aluminum ones are not hard to find, but most I have seen are only the metal part. Finding one with the spider, glass diaphragm and sapphire is not easy. The one on my machine is also a Pathé reproducer. The motor on mne is so noisy I did not bother looking for a better reproducer, in my collection it is more for looks, with its cor de chasse horn, than for function.

[Curt A]

Are those aluminum ones with a spider difficult to find in Europe?

The aluminum ones are not hard to find, but most I have seen are only the metal part. Finding one with the spider, glass diaphragm and sapphire is not easy. The one on my machine is also a Pathé reproducer. The motor on mne is so noisy I did not bother looking for a better reproducer, in my collection it is more for looks, with its cor de chasse horn, than for function.

Pedro, in Spain, (walser on the forum) makes and sells the spiders, glass diaphragms and sapphires to complete one.
https://www.pedrofono.es/en/

[Sidewinder]

ANYBODY have ANY ideas???

To my knowledge, that is a common design and mechanism used by a fair few French off brands. Here's my example sold by Ulman

Nope, Ulmann design incorporated their logo on the end plate

[Ahmed]

ANYBODY have ANY ideas???

To my knowledge, that is a common design and mechanism used by a fair few French off brands. Here's my example sold by Ulman

Nope, Ulmann design incorporated their logo on the end plate

Nope, not all the time...

[Oedipus]

French and Swiss phonographs often came in this style of case, which in Britain was called 'Reversible'. I will attempt to attach a photo of a Paillard, re-badged by an English dealer. The reproducer and recorder are aluminium, and its combined crank/key winder is the only one I have ever seen.

[Curt A]

THANKS, everyone, for the help...

[jamiegramo]

Thanks, Ahmed. The only type I seem to find on French eBay are Pathé...

I think this is likely a Swiss Paillard. Often seen marketed as the Paillard Echophone but also appearing under other trade names as shown by Oedipus. The shape of the motor housing and arrangement of the gears appears the same as many Paillards.

I think it would be difficult to say whether the machine was sold with an aluminium or gutta percha reproducer. Echophones are shown on the net with either. The problem with non-Pathé ‘branded’ reproducers is that they are often highly priced. On the French eBay I can see 3 possibles but the price is prohibitive. Polyglotte (144 euros, incomplete and ‘damaged’), Phèbus (330 euros) and Gallier (450 euros). An anonymous aluminium reproducer would be the cheapest option. Or a Pathé reproducer, these were sold separately as accessories so maybe not out of the question.

The trademark or mark seems difficult to track down. Assuming it was sold in France? The link shows many early French phonograph marks but unfortunately your monogram does not appear. ‘NEW-SPARK’ at 1904 is maybe possible.

http://www.archeophone.org/rtf_pdf/Marq ... s_inpi.pdf

[Curt A]

Thanks, Jamie... that could be it. OR, a name starting with S and N...???

Actually, I think you nailed it with the Paillard machine. I just compared the governor weights on the Paillard with the machine in question. They both have the peculiar shaped round weights with flat bottoms. Unless you know of any other machines that use that style of weight, I think this is it...