Featured Phonograph No. 121 - Edison Amberola IV

[EarlH]

There was one of those in an antique store up in Rochester, MN. 30 years ago and I didn't buy it because I thought it was a high school shop project. Like those common floor clocks made about the same time. Boy have the books that have come out since those days cleared up a lot. It was really dirty though and $100 seemed like a lot of money at the time. Ha! I've never been all that wild about Mission or Art & Crafts furniture and especially in those days it would have been a tough sell to me. Nice looking machine really, especially compared to some of the odd stuff that came out of the Edison cabinet works.

[JohnM]

Two of the reasons that I think this cabinet-style did not sell better are that it is a rather poorly proportioned and quite severe when compared to more refined examples of Arts & Crafts furniture, and that the Arts & Crafts movement was nearly over by 1913.

[wtt11]

Congrats! I have the same feeling with EarlH. The cabinet can't really prevent people from believing that it's from a carpenter's hands.

[PeterF]

Ok, them's fighting words.

The whole point of the Craftsman design movement was to go back to basics, to something something plain and sturdy and natural, made by hand (or at least looking like it was). Form was supposed to regain its perceived lost relationship to function. So yeah, it's supposed to look a bit rough-hewn.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Craftsman

The movement was in reaction to bombastic Victorian excess, which had smothered homes in layers of filigree and chintz, during the late 1800's and the beginning of the 20th century.

[Valecnik]

Thanks all for the nice comments. Yes, I am really happy to have gotten it. Never thought I'd own one.

Brother Valecnik, when you have a moment, please measure the Amberola III (or an I) mech and horn combo and check it against the Amberola IV container space - will it fit, as is?

Peter, the dimensions are about the same as a I or a III so there should be space for the Opera works. I think there might be a problem though with that traversing mandrel getting the cylinder on and off. I can't take internal measurements unfortunately as the machine is about 5,000 miles away.

How about a slightly scaled-down Amberola IV cabinet designed to house the Amberola 75 mechanism? Wouldn't that have been a sweetheart?

George P.

The 50/75 mechanism would easily fit as you say George but the 50/75 horn would be tiny compared to what's in there now.

[gramophone78]

The very short YouTube video filmed in 2007 claims to be the mechanism from Amberola IV serial #1. Located in a shop/museum in Saudi Arabia.

The poster claims the rest of the machine was destroyed by fire.

How do they know it's from serial #1..??. Is the data plate attached to the mechanism or..?.

https://youtu.be/8Bal3dbnFNU

There is another very poor video by the same poster (a year later) attempting to show the data plates of the IV and another machine. You can see the 1.

https://youtu.be/I2Kgk8YFEjQ

[Valecnik]

The very short YouTube video filmed in 2007 claims to be the mechanism from Amberola IV serial #1. Located in a shop/museum in Saudi Arabia.

The poster claims the rest of the machine was destroyed by fire.

How do they know it's from serial #1..??. Is the data plate attached to the mechanism or..?.

https://youtu.be/8Bal3dbnFNU

There is another very poor video by the same poster (a year later) attempting to show the data plates of the IV and another machine. You can see the 1.

https://youtu.be/I2Kgk8YFEjQ

It surely looks right to the extent one can tell from such a video. The numbers are stamped on the data plate which is on the mechanism sort of behind the mandrel. It could well be an Amberola IV. I really wonder how it ended up in Saudi though.

[victorIIvictor]

Bruce, thank you for answering John Jennings' call for more Featured Phonographs with this absolute stunner. I know the Amberola IV is not to everyone's taste, but I admire the ultra-severe lines of this phonograph.

Along the same (ultra-severe & ultra-rare) lines, let the next Featured Phonograph be a London No. 2 (I can dream, can't I?)

Best wishes, Mark

[gemering]

Bruce,

I had the pleasure of seeing your machine in person, while it was still owned by the prior NJ collector.
A rare beauty!

Gene

[rgordon939]

I to had the pleasure of looking at this Amberola IV as well as the Amberola 60 and the Amberola 80 this collector had. I did buy several machines from him but passed on the Amberola IV. It is a beautiful machine and a very scarce model as stated. Enjoy it for a long time and thanks for posting the pictures.

Rich Gordon