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Make: Victor Victrola
Model: XVI L-door model
Serial: 37104 C
Year(s) Made: 1911
Original Cost: $200 to $750
Case/Cabinet Size: 22 in D, 47 in H, 21 in W
Horn: internal cast iron with mahogany slats
Reproducer/Sound-Box: Exhibition
Motor: 3 spring
Reproduction Parts: none
Current Value: $1000 - $1300 on west coast

Interesting Facts: I purchased this model several weeks ago with two missing
back legs and a rough cabinet with missing veneer. A very helpful and gracious board
member sold me a near mint cabinet today and I transferred all hardware
accordingly. This machine is a perfect example of one TM board member helping
another for a worthy goal.

Favorite Characteristics: Hand carved accents, red mahogany and gold hardware
make for a striking combination. I feel fortunate to have this machine in my
collection.

That is truly a beautiful addition to your collection!!!! One of my great regrets from my talking machine collecting is not acting soon enough on a similar L door sixteenth that was available in my area about two years ago. I debated it just long enough for someone else to but it With that said, you really have a nice machine that is a wonderful center piece to a collection. It is good that you were able to hook up with someone on the board and put all of the parts from both machines together to make a nice finished piece. Congratulations and I hope you enjoy it for many years!!!!

Wonderful machine! There is something truly elegant about the big early Victrola XVI. I love all the early Victrolas because each model is unique to itself. I know Victor really kicked into high gear in sales when they standardized cabinet design but there is something special about a spider leg X or a Queen Anne XIV or the L door XVI.

The early Victrolas sold in fairly small numbers and many were cannibalized by early collectors because the Victrolas shared parts with contemporary horn models. Think about it... you'll see quite a few Victor horn machines before you see a table model Victrola XII.

Jerry Blais

Jerry B. wrote:Wonderful machine! There is something truly elegant about the big early Victrola XVI. I love all the early Victrolas because each model is unique to itself. I know Victor really kicked into high gear in sales when they standardized cabinet design but there is something special about a spider leg X or a Queen Anne XIV or the L door XVI.

The early Victrolas sold in fairly small numbers and many were cannibalized by early collectors because the Victrolas shared parts with contemporary horn models. Think about it... you'll see quite a few Victor horn machines before you see a table model Victrola XII.

Jerry Blais

Jerry, I agree with you. I've always liked the pre-1914 Victrolas for the same reasons. And as for "early collectors" cannibalizing early Victrolas to complete external-horn Victors, I know of at least one who still does. Anything for a buck, I guess...

George P.

Very nice find and a great job putting it all together.

Jim

Do you know if the lid is original to the machine? Didn't they switch to the drop the "victor" in the lid decal when they went from VTLA to XVI?

And I have to agree with about the combination of gold and mahagony. Much more striking than oak.

Boyle6 wrote:That is truly a beautiful addition to your collection!!!! One of my great regrets from my talking machine collecting is not acting soon enough on a similar L door sixteenth that was available in my area about two years ago. I debated it just long enough for someone else to but it With that said, you really have a nice machine that is a wonderful center piece to a collection. It is good that you were able to hook up with someone on the board and put all of the parts from both machines together to make a nice finished piece. Congratulations and I hope you enjoy it for many years!!!!

Thanks Boyle! The end result was well worth the effort I think. This one is
definitely one of the "stars" of my collection.

Jerry B. wrote:Wonderful machine! There is something truly elegant about the big early Victrola XVI. I love all the early Victrolas because each model is unique to itself. I know Victor really kicked into high gear in sales when they standardized cabinet design but there is something special about a spider leg X or a Queen Anne XIV or the L door XVI.

The early Victrolas sold in fairly small numbers and many were cannibalized by early collectors because the Victrolas shared parts with contemporary horn models. Think about it... you'll see quite a few Victor horn machines before you see a table model Victrola XII.

Jerry Blais

Thanks Jerry, its funny you should mention the cannibalization of some machines.
This cabinet was in fact stripped to complete an external horn model in the past from
what I was told. In the end it was to my great benefit and it will now live on for
many years to come.

phonojim wrote:Very nice find and a great job putting it all together.

Jim

Thanks Jim!

Zeppy wrote:Do you know if the lid is original to the machine? Didn't they switch to the drop the "victor" in the lid decal when they went from VTLA to XVI?

And I have to agree with about the combination of gold and mahagony. Much more striking than oak.

Zeppy this was indeed a subject for consideration when I purchased the cabinet.
According to the information, this cabinet style should have the later
version of the Victrola decal. What is interesting to note is the very closely
matching patina between the lid and the cabinet. Each cabinet goes through
very different conditions throughout its life and this results in slightly
different appearances in the wood patina. I came to the conclusion that if
the lid was swapped, it must have happened very early on in order to match
so well. In the end I felt it did not alter the value substantially and I
am also fond of the older decal.