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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Antq-Ediso ... 336fcd6b12
Here a picture of the listing:
RARE ANTIQUE EDISON CLASS M ELECTRIC CYLINDER PHONOGRAPH
Up for auction is an ultra rare Edison Class M phonograph. The Class M that I have up for auction is as complete and as original as they come. All of the major components are present and in great shape. The case is also as good as it gets, with original finish, and no major damage or missing pieces. It also comes with an original Edison-Lalande Type S cell battery. The lead plates for the cell are missing. There are a few parts that are not attached including the oil tube and a brush (both pictured). I am not exactly sure where the brush goes. This is obviously an un-restored piece, but for the rarity and completeness of this marvelous machine, it is sought after by many collectors all over the world.
This phonograph, besides being extremely rare, has added historical provenance. This Edison Class M came from the Clarence A. Ferguson collection. Mr. Ferguson, who died in 1971, was the last living man to have closely worked with Thomas A. Edison. This rare machine has been in Larry Donley’s phonograph museum (Union, IL.) since Ferguson’s passing.
The Class M was Edison's first major improvement on the tinfoil phonograph of 1877. After a reported 72-hour marathon session ending on the morning of June 16, 1888, Edison was photographed with his "perfected" Class M phonograph. Edison liked this picture of himself as the "the Napoleon of Invention" so much that he had it copied as an oil painting which was displayed in his office for the rest of his life.
Made several years before the invention of a suitable spring-driven phonograph motor, the Class M is driven by an electric motor powered by a heavy set of Edison-Lalande Type S cells. Although most people think of the Class M as being powered by early Grenet cells, such as was pictured in the famous photograph of Edison below, those laboratory batteries were superseded by the superior Edison-Lalande cells after 1889, by the time the Class M went into the commercial market.
The governor, hidden under the bedplate in most phonographs, is prominently positioned on top of the machine, mounted vertically. Class M Phonographs were manufactured through 1890 for the North American Phonograph Company, which originally attempted to lease them as business machines for dictation. This proved to be a dismal failure, but the entertainment possibilities of the phonograph quickly caught the attention of the general public. As the North American company slowly sank into eventual bankruptcy (in 1894), Class M phonographs were finally offered for outright sale, both for business and home use. However these were extremely expensive machines ($225 when average salaries were around $40 a month), and not many were sold. Today the Class M is one of the most desirable of all antique phonographs.
...and the rest of the pictures. I hope I'm not boring anyone, to me a Class M is just so extraordinary.
