The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

This was up a few months ago and officially sold for €1.50. Apparently the seller bought it back himself and did not bother to take a new photo. Anyway, this is still an outstanding piece of art, anyone?

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... 0482912566

Looks like something pulled from the watery grave of the Titanic. Of course we know that it would be worth MUCH more had that been true!

Anyone know what the description translates into? I'm guessing something like "found while pumping out the septic tank" or "discovered in an abandoned home that burned down 40 years ago". You have to admire the seller for trying.

I think we can all come up with some good headliners for this one:

"Good deal on starter restoration."

"Needs work."

"Appears to have a part missing."

"Nice fixer-upper."

Nat

Most eBay sellers would describe it as "near-mint."

Hier geht es vermutlich um ein Aufzeichnungs- oder Abspielgerät


möglicherweise Walzen- phonograph ?

jedenfalls ur- alt !

dieser " Überrest " lag ewige Zeiten hinter einem Schuppen , was es genau einmal war , kann ich nicht sagen ist zwar ziemlich hin - aber die Messingzahnräder & die Walze sind gut erkennbar

die Grundplatte scheint aus massuvem Gußeisen/stahl zu sein ist , wie im Bild zu sehen schon ganz schön gealtert

Maße ca .:
Grundplatte - 21 x 15 cm
Walze oben - 13 cm lang , Ø 5 cm
Federrad unten - 3 cm dick , Ø 7 cm

. . . das Ganze ist total schwer ! ! !


and in English

There is probably a recording or player instrument, possibly a cylinder phonograph
Either way, its very old

this "remnant" has lain for a long time behind a shed, and what exactly it was once, I can not say.

Although quite destroyed - the brass gears and the roller are easily recognizable

the base plate seems to be of solid cast iron / steel, and as seen in the photo quite nicely aged

Dimensions approx.:
Base plate - 21 x 15 cm
Roll - 13 cm long, Ø 5 cm
Spring housing - 3 cm thick, Ø 7 cm

. . . the whole thing is quite heavy! ! !

"great condition for it's age..."

"Don't miss this treasure"

"Record player from the 1700's"

"Just needs some TLC"

"Great addition to anyone's collection!"

etc.

This " takes the cake" but it rang a bell with me and I dug through my old copies of the Hillandale News ( City of London Phonograph and Gramophone Society journal) and in the December 1977 issue a collector named Mark Field wrote and article called From Scrap to Fireside. He bought the bedplate and not much else for two pounds from a scrap metal dealer and proceeded to restore the machine to its former glory.You can see the process in the illustrations. The rigamarole he went through to get the gears to run smoothly would curl one's hair. He is a machinist, of course, but even so! And the re-enameling process was like a spiritual exercise.
So there really are no completely lost causes. Sort of.

Jim

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Thanks for the translation, Sidewinder. I'm surprised it didn't contain the most popular ebay disclaimer "not sure whether this works or not".