Edison external horn record player

[Victrolaboy]

We spent a long but wonderful Saturday at the Edison National Historic Park in 1999 shooting photos that appeared in Discovering Antique Phonographs. Although Jerry Fabris had brought together crates and crates of unique items we had never before seen, the prototype Disc Phonograph was not among them, nor had Jerry ever seen it.

George P.

George,
Did Jarry go through every single crate at the National Historic Site? Is it possible that the machine was taken off display and has been misplaced? Does the historic site have a warehouse where they store stuff that is not on display?

[phonogfp]

I cannot answer for exactly what Jerry did 16 years ago, but the machine does not appear on any inventory at the site, nor has anyone ever reported seeing it. There's no warehouse that I'm aware of, but there is quite a large underground vault where most items are stored (talk about "phonograph heaven!" I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I was allowed in there!). It's highly unlikely that the prototype external horn Disc Phonograph is hidden there. My hope is that someone took it home and it will emerge from an attic one of these days.

George P.

[Victrolaboy]

I cannot answer for exactly what Jerry did 16 years ago, but the machine does not appear on any inventory at the site, nor has anyone ever reported seeing it. There's no warehouse that I'm aware of, but there is quite a large underground vault where most items are stored (talk about "phonograph heaven!" I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I was allowed in there!). It's highly unlikely that the prototype external horn Disc Phonograph is hidden there. My hope is that someone took it home and it will emerge from an attic one of these days.

George P.

I bet it was phonograph heaven! I still have not visited the National Historic Site yet but I will. But who would have taken the machine home? Could it have actually been stolen from the site? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions.
By the way I just realized I spelled "Jerry" wrong in the last post. Well I'm typing this on my iPhone so that would be why there are typos.

[De Soto Frank]

I cannot answer for exactly what Jerry did 16 years ago, but the machine does not appear on any inventory at the site, nor has anyone ever reported seeing it. There's no warehouse that I'm aware of, but there is quite a large underground vault where most items are stored (talk about "phonograph heaven!" I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I was allowed in there!). It's highly unlikely that the prototype external horn Disc Phonograph is hidden there. My hope is that someone took it home and it will emerge from an attic one of these days.

George P.

Did it look like this, George ?

[edisonplayer]

In my copy of the book "From Tinfoil to Stereo" it shows an example of an external horn diamond disc machine. It's says "Edison National Historic Site Museum" but the machine is not at the national historic site so where did it go if it was there when this book was written?

Maybe the Rooster (Pathé`) threatened patent litigation... there's more than a passing resemblance...

[edisonplayer]

It DOES look "Pathé-ish to me! Could be they got after Tom.edisonplayer

[phonogfp]

But who would have taken the machine home? Could it have actually been stolen from the site? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions.

Employees were known to take items home on occasion. Perhaps Delos Holden (Edison's patent advisor) took it for evaluation and never returned it. Maybe TAE himself took it home and Mina gave it to the gardener. It would be hard to steal a machine that size from the TAENHP, but who knows what might have happened in the 30's, 40's, 50's, or 60's? The most probable outcome (I fear) is that it was disassembled for subsequent experiments (a common practice) and the remains were thrown away as junk.

All this is purely guesswork, of course.

George P.

Did it look like this, George ?

The ceiling is lower...

George P.

[estott]

I feel that the machine was photographed and then discarded. It was the same with Victor- you can find photographs of their prototypes, particularly their attempts to build the Lumiere pleated diaphragm into a cabinet machine. Everything was recorded for posterity, and then probably broken down for parts.

[Garret]

I cannot answer for exactly what Jerry did 16 years ago, but the machine does not appear on any inventory at the site, nor has anyone ever reported seeing it. There's no warehouse that I'm aware of, but there is quite a large underground vault where most items are stored (talk about "phonograph heaven!" I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I was allowed in there!). It's highly unlikely that the prototype external horn Disc Phonograph is hidden there. My hope is that someone took it home and it will emerge from an attic one of these days.

George P.

George,

Would you be willing to share your thoughts on some of the more interesting items in storage that might not be finding their way to display anytime soon? Is the vault you describe the same one as where the remaining masters are kept? I've heard about it, but unfortunately have yet to see it, or make a trip to the TAENHP for that matter, even though my treasured original A&N Disc machine is now part of the collection.

Sincerely,

Garret

[Schlick]

Does anyone else find it significant the the prototype pictured: a) Does not display an obvious record tracking ability (might the horn support interfere?); and b) Does not appear to incorporate linear tracking as in [all?] other Edisons?