Custom Cabinet For Victor...

[SonnyPhono]

I thought this was interesting.









This cabinet is identical, (I think) to the one pictured George's book Discovering Antique Phonographs. The difference between this one and the one in the book, (pg. 121) is this has a different wood horn. The horn has a decal that says General Phonograph Supply Co. The horn is a Eureka horn. I'm assuming that the General Phonograph Supply Co. was a "middle man" company used to distribute phonograph parts, not manufacture them? Does anyone know anything about this horn or the company that produced it?

George, do you know if these custom cabinets were available as an aftermarket upgrade? For example, could someone take a Victor phonograph they bought previously into The Douglas Phonograph Company store to have the workings of their phonograph placed into one of Douglas' custom cabinets?

Or, did The Douglas Phonograph Company manufacture the cabinets only to purchase their own Victor mechanisms so they could mate the two in order to sell the entire phonograph in the completed form? I would think with all the litigation of that time brought on by the Victor Company against just about everybody and their brother, that they would not be willing to furnish their mechanisms knowing that they would be installed in a cabinet that they did not design and manufacture themselves.

It's interesting nonetheless. I love the horn on the one pictured above. This is only the second phonograph like this that I have seen. The other is in your book. Any ideas of production numbers? Maybe an estimate?

[estott]

General Phonograph Supply was Otto Heineman's company. I don't know what items they brokered but they manufactured excellent motors, tome arms & other fittings that found their way into many off-brand machines in the 'teens and twenties. Their trademark was OkeH (trading off the founder's initials) and of course produced the Okeh record.

[phonogfp]

That's only the second of those Douglas cabinets I've seen as well. As to what arrangement Douglas had with Victor, I don't know, but I've seen other Douglas cabinet designs with the Victor data plate attached, so it's obvious that Douglas replaced the original cabinet with its own in those instances. I expect Douglas - as a Victor retailer - had to keep the serial number affixed to the machine somewhere in order not to violate its contract.

The decal on the horn is interesting in that it identifies "Eureka Horns." Beginning in November 1907, General Phonograph marketed them as "Truetone Horns," although the record cabinets were marketed as "Eureka." We show one of these horns for a cylinder machine on page 40 of Antique Phonograph Accessories & Contraptions. I didn't know until now that the company changed its nomenclature. Thanks for posting this.

As for production figures, I couldn't hazard a guess, but certainly very, very small.

Where is this being auctioned?

George P.

[OrthoSean]

I have the exact same horn, interestingly, it came on my Victor IV, which has a dealer plate for the Douglas Phonograph Company in NYC. These horns are so thin, I think it's a miracle any of them survived!

Sean

[brianu]

I was reminded of this machine again last night...

whatever happened to this one? does the original poster of this thread know what it may have sold for (if it ever sold)? forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I can't remember if it may have been discussed in another thread either.

[OrthoSean]

That's only the second of those Douglas cabinets I've seen as well. As to what arrangement Douglas had with Victor, I don't know, but I've seen other Douglas cabinet designs with the Victor data plate attached, so it's obvious that Douglas replaced the original cabinet with its own in those instances. I expect Douglas - as a Victor retailer - had to keep the serial number affixed to the machine somewhere in order not to violate its contract.

George P.

Hey George,

If you look at the 1905 Time Capsule thread I posted, on the Victor letterhead, one of the executives was a "Douglas" and in the letter it is mentioned to buy from the "Douglas Supply" on Chambers St., which I find interesting because my Victor IV with the Eureka horn has a celluloid tag on the front with "Douglas Phonograph Supply Chambers St. NY" on it. Could this help tie everything together?

Sean

[gramophone78]

As an owner of a custom mahogany Vic.5.I too have wondered what became of this machine.Since the "auction" it was in has surely past,maybe we can be told how and where this came to be.Where were these pics posted.Most auctions will post pics of lots on line.However,I never seen them (other than here)given the size of the internet I could have missed them for sure.I think it was "SonnyPhono"that first posted this.Can you let us all know what happened and where???.

[phonogfp]

That's only the second of those Douglas cabinets I've seen as well. As to what arrangement Douglas had with Victor, I don't know, but I've seen other Douglas cabinet designs with the Victor data plate attached, so it's obvious that Douglas replaced the original cabinet with its own in those instances. I expect Douglas - as a Victor retailer - had to keep the serial number affixed to the machine somewhere in order not to violate its contract.

George P.

Hey George,

If you look at the 1905 Time Capsule thread I posted, on the Victor letterhead, one of the executives was a "Douglas" and in the letter it is mentioned to buy from the "Douglas Supply" on Chambers St., which I find interesting because my Victor IV with the Eureka horn has a celluloid tag on the front with "Douglas Phonograph Supply Chambers St. NY" on it. Could this help tie everything together?

Sean

It doesn't really tell us anything we didn't already know; Douglas operated as a Victor jobber as well as a retailer. The very nice group you posted includes a mention in the letter that dealers in that part of New York State obtained their supplies from Douglas. The company also arranged for outside manufacture of horns and cabinets which it marketed under several names. Douglas was evidently a live wire outfit - - it opened its doors in early 1900 (before Victor even existed), and for awhile was the sole retailer of the Fletcher-modified Edison reproducers. Interesting firm. I have one of their letterheads in my collection.

As for the "Douglas" mentioned on the Victor letterhead, I suspect it's spelled "Douglass", which was Leon Douglass, Vice-President of the VTMCo. Whole different family.

George P.

[OrthoSean]

Thanks for clearing that up, George!

Sean

[SonnyPhono]

The one pictured in this thread was at auction a few weeks ago. I did not attend the auction or watch it live for that matter so I don't what the final selling price was. I checked it the night before the auction and it was around $4,000 if I'm not mistaken.

The auction was in Northeast Ohio. I will see if I can contact the auctioneer for the final selling price and will post it if they will give it to me.