"Operaphone" Phonograph...Odd Machine

[estott]

I have a Pathéphone VII, not closely related, but an American Pathé` product.

American Pathé` seems to have sourced their motors, and presumably the rest of their hardware from Heinemann...


Is it a safe bet that the tone-arm for the Operaphone / Prestonia came from Heinemann too ?

I would not be certain of that- Heineman arms are generally of good quality and durable, even with pot metal content. On both Operaphone machines that have turned up the arms are gone.

Estott, what do you think of the likelihood that the two model H's that now bear the Operaphone tag never had tone arms installed to begin with; that they were in the process of conversion (from their original Actuelle configurations) but never completed?

I doubt that. The machine I examined had been in the possession of the owners family since at least 1926- why would they buy an incomplete machine?

[pughphonos]

Estott, what do you think of the likelihood that the two model H's that now bear the Operaphone tag never had tone arms installed to begin with; that they were in the process of conversion (from their original Actuelle configurations) but never completed?

I doubt that. The machine I examined had been in the possession of the owners family since at least 1926- why would they buy an incomplete machine?

Either one tries to come up with possible explanations for these phonographic monoliths--or just remain dumbstruck. DeSoto Frank, it's apparently time for us to leave this particular Easter Island....

[pughphonos]

Here's another example of a Model H but with the Pathol horn--and with the Pathé decal.

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/atq/5385695469.html

[Phono48]

But there is still a lingering question...was there ever an Operaphone phonograph?

Yes, there was. I can't give you any details, but if you put "Operaphone gramophone" into the search engine, there are British auction reports, with pictures, of an Operaphone made to resemble a grand piano, which seems to have been quite a popular thing to do, as several makers did the same thing. Columbia, for one.

[redd]

so i picked up one of these as well. works fine the cabinet shows its age.
so what are the worth?
at least ballpark?

[donniej]

Here's another example of a Model H but with the Pathol horn--and with the Pathé decal.

I bought that one a couple months ago, and it looks identical to the "Operaphone". It has a Pathé universal tone arm and reproducer and Pathé decal on the lid but no data plate or serial number anywhere. It does also have the hole, meant to relocate the crank, that someone else mentioned. It was drilled, and a piece of dowel glued into it's place.
The motor is a Heineman P5001.

A video of it, now (mostly restored) is below...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_czfUSW ... e=youtu.be