Edison Diamond Disc Phono cabinet factory sticker survey

[NEFaurora]

I've seen many of these serialized cabinet factory decals. They are more common than you think.

Edison had over 36 or more sub-contracted cabinet factories working for him. The serialized number is most likely just a consecutive production number pertaining to that specific Cabinet factory, in this case Cabinet factory number 19.

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[fran604g]

I've seen many of these serialized cabinet factory decals. They are more common than you think.Tony K.Edison Collector/Restorer

I'd love to see your pictures or documentation of them.

I've seen literally hundreds of these stickers (labels) over the past year and a half. The one I exhibit in my picture, on the first post of this thread -- (Edison Cabinet Factory No. 19; 18754) -- is the only factory identification sticker, on a C 19, that I've noted with a serialized number on it.

That doesn't mean there weren't other factories owned or employed by the Edison company that didn't practice this procedure, but I hadn't noted any prior to mine, and I've examined an awful lot of them.

As it stands, the other factories I've noted, such as No.22, No.33, No.2, and even the No. 19 on my much earlier C 250 (SN 33187) DO NOT have this feature.

Best,
Fran

[De Soto Frank]

Well, shucks. I was about to quote another post with a picture from Factory 22, but it looks like that post has disappeared.


I checked my C-19 DD player in Golden Oak, s/n 139485. This machine bears the cabinet Factory Label "Edison" ( in an arching logo ) Factory 18. The label is form 2430. The right-edge of the label is missing, so I cannot tell if there was a serial # .

( Fran - I know this is not specifically requesting, but correlating s/n // finish // cabinet plant might relevant ? )



While there were many cabinet jobbers, were the cabinets shipped to Orange for final assembly, or were there regional Edison plants to do this ? The Diamond Disc player is a bit more complicated than the average "off-brand" talking machine.... I would presume some real skill and care was needed to install the phonograph workings....

[phonogfp]

I've seen many of these serialized cabinet factory decals. They are more common than you think.

I admit that I've never made a deliberate study of Cabinet Factory labels from late Chippendales, nor those specifically from Factory No.19, but in 48 years of collecting and shooting photos of over 100 collections, I don't recall ever seeing one of these serialized labels till now. Rather than commenting on the implied limited experience of others, perhaps you might assist by offering the requested data.

The serialized number is most likely just a consecutive production number pertaining to that specific Cabinet factory, in this case Cabinet factory number 19.

Yes, Fran stated as much in the post immediately preceding yours. Additional confirmation is always encouraging.

Will you share any specifics on the many serialized cabinet labels you've seen?

Can you help identify Cabinet Factory No.19?

George P.

[phonogfp]

While there were many cabinet jobbers, were the cabinets shipped to Orange for final assembly, or were there regional Edison plants to do this ? The Diamond Disc player is a bit more complicated than the average "off-brand" talking machine.... I would presume some real skill and care was needed to install the phonograph workings....

As far as I know, all empty cabinets were shipped to West Orange for final assembly.

George P.

[fran604g]

Well, shucks. I was about to quote another post with a picture from Factory 22, but it looks like that post has disappeared.

I checked my C-19 DD player in Golden Oak, s/n 139485. This machine bears the cabinet Factory Label "Edison" ( in an arching logo ) Factory 18. The label is form 2430. The right-edge of the label is missing, so I cannot tell if there was a serial # .

Hiya Frank, thank you for the No.18 description.

I currently own 5 DD Phonographs with the aforementioned cabinet factory numbers:

No.2 (one on an A100 and one on a C19)
No.19 (two versions; the one that is the topic, and a different one on a C250)
No.33 (on a C19)

The "typical looking version" -- as I'll call it for now -- look like the one you describe and the ones pictured below, and are the "type" or "style" that I've always noted until seeing the version that this topic is all about.

All 4 of my "typical looking versions" have the form designation numbers clearly printed on them, as you can see by the pictures, 3 of them are "Form 890" and one is the same as your No.18: "Form 2430".

This is on my Mahogany C 250 SN 33187

This is on my A 100 SN 100111

This is on my Oak transitional C 19 SN 75399

This on my Oak C 19 SN 96451

( Fran - I know this is not specifically requesting, but correlating s/n // finish // cabinet plant might relevant ? )

I don't know, but I hope that by doing this survey, perhaps these questions can eventually be answered, along with specific production figures.

While there were many cabinet jobbers, were the cabinets shipped to Orange for final assembly, or were there regional Edison plants to do this ? The Diamond Disc player is a bit more complicated than the average "off-brand" talking machine.... I would presume some real skill and care was needed to install the phonograph workings....

As far as I know, all empty cabinets were shipped to West Orange for final assembly.

George P.

Thank you for that, George, I was thinking that Edison would have most likely wanted to have complete control over the completed machines, and especially for final inspection certainly. I can't imagine the company relying on other companies to do this.

Best,
Fran

[mikejk]

Fran,
Here is mine, C 19, SM 172585, a late one like yours . Small type # same as yours.
Mike

[fran604g]

Thanks Mike, that's fantastic.

We now have two C 19s that are 336 serialized units apart, with cabinets that are 107 units apart. This is really compelling!

I'm excited!

Best,
Fran

[NEFaurora]

Edison used the serialized decals on a lot of other models.... Not just the C-19.. You will find them on other machine models as well.

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[phonogfp]

We now have two C 19s that are 336 serialized units apart, with cabinets that are 107 units apart.

It occurs to me that in the mid-late 1920s as Edison sales decreased, the number of contracts with cabinet suppliers probably diminished as well. If enough of these late "Factory No.19" labels can be found to comprise a reliable sample, a comparison between machine serial numbers and cabinet numbers may suggest that Factory No.19 was perhaps Edison's sole cabinet supplier toward the end. Of course, we don't yet know if the cabinet serialization was distinct between models, or if it represented the cumulative output for all models at Factory No.19. There's no model designation on the labels, so I suspect it's the latter. At this point I don't really know what to think...

Data! Data!

George P.