Columbia "Princess" Grafonola

[estott]

Maybe a bit off topic but in the 1960's-70's wasn't there at least one maker that offered a radio/phonograph/tape player built into a sectional couch? I think it had a turntable in one of the huge arms and built in speakers. (Or am I channeling Austin Powers)

[gramophoneshane]

No, I'm sure I've seen a picture of such a chair, but cant seem to find it. The best I came up with was this neat British radio chair from 1926.
Surely if they were making radio-chairs this early, someone must have been putting phonos in them too.

[bbphonoguy]

It's one of the few "Leggy" machines that really looks nice- it's similar to the Victor X but much nicer proportions and with the lid closed and louvers shut it can pass as a parlor stand.

Here's another example of a Columbia Grafonola disguised as a center table- though the decal on the outside isn't all that subtle:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-VIntage-Columb ... 911.c0.m14

I WANT THE GRAFONOLA BUILT INTO THE CENTER TABLE! Problem is, the auction carries the dreaded phrase "reserve not met", which means it's going to go for more than I want to pay.

[Neophone]

It's one of the few "Leggy" machines that really looks nice- it's similar to the Victor X but much nicer proportions and with the lid closed and louvers shut it can pass as a parlor stand.

Here's another example of a Columbia Grafonola disguised as a center table- though the decal on the outside isn't all that subtle:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-VIntage-Columb ... 911.c0.m14

I WANT THE GRAFONOLA BUILT INTO THE CENTER TABLE! Problem is, the auction carries the dreaded phrase "reserve not met", which means it's going to go for more than I want to pay.

ME TOO!!!!!, I can't explain why, but I just love that design.

Regards,
John

[Kirkwood]

I've been away a while (no computer for 2 weeks, etc). I found one of these Princess model Columbias some years ago, and it saw use as a night stand next to the bed. It's really that small, and the bed was that high too. The side flap is kinda neat, but not nearly as handy as you might expect--or hope. While mine does have the louvers over the speaker, it's not in much better shape than this one seen at Brimfield. I seldom ever played it---I just came to regard as a table. I think that's what happened to a lot of these Columbias; they did such a good job of looking like furniture that people just forgot about playing them.

As for other furniture-as-phonograph creations, maybe somebody will remember seeing this ad. (I think it was in a book called Player Piano Treasury, where they had reprinted old advertising of so many musically related goodies.) This one was an advert for the "Davenola", where the company had installed a phonograph into the ample, wide upholstered arms of a large sofa or davenport. As I recall, the one arm top raised up to reveal the phonograph, and the other side was for record storage. This was a 1920's era creation, and I've never actually seen one. Since upholstered furniture tends to get tossed out much more readily than tables and the like, I doubt that any have survived. But I could be wrong....

[estott]

The Princess machine I started the thread with was still there today and I bought it for $200.00 The missing louvers are the only big problem, otherwise it just needs a lot of cosmetic cleaning. It's playable, though the reproducer is screaming for a rebuild. One nice detail- the needle holder in the pictures is an afterfit, made at home out of a piece of oak. There are no needle cups on the machine at all.

[bbphonoguy]

Congratulations! For $200.00 I would have been sorely tempted myself.

[Covah]

[JohnM]

I saw a 'Princess' a couple of years ago in an antique shop at a permanent flea market on Dixie Highway in suburban Detroit, Michigan. IIRC, it was $450.

[Ticsandpics]

I just purchased a Columbia Princess Granofola in mahogany. It is complete and seems to be all
original. By the sounds of the price of that one in Maryland I got a real bargain. The only minor
fault with the machine is the louvers at the front which have some slight damage probably because
someone tried to open them in the wrong direction by force and cracked the wood slightly at the
edges. As it turns out the cracks are on the inside of the louvers and not visible at all.
The side flap definately helps with changing the needle without forcing the arm up.
While my main interests are antique clocks, I've always kept an eye open for an antique phonograph
and as soon as I saw this particular one I new I had to have it. It was a bargain for $195.
Now to start building a collections of records!