Which model Talkophone is this?

[Steve]

Can anybody please tell me which model of Talkophone is shown below? Also, is this horn the correct type? I've only ever seen them with the straight black/brass horns. Thank you.

[JohnM]

That is an 'Eagle'. Quite rare and fancier than the 'Sousa'. I used to have one, but mine had a black horn. I'm still on the road and can't access photos of it, sorry.

[Steve]

Thank you, John. I couldn't find any reference to the 'Eagle' anywhere, other than it possibly being a 'Sousa' model with applied Eagle decoration? So was the Eagle a listed model? I assume it was also a very late model?

[Valecnik]

I don't recall the model name but I had the same one and it had the same horn. That's a pretty typical late Talkaphone horn.

[Steve]

I note that in the last Fabrizio & Paul book this is referred to as a later, more cheaply made Sousa styled machine. Does it still have a 3 spring motor or was that compromised too? According to the book, the motifs are cheap machine turned parts glued on or an applique, if you prefer.

[SonnyPhono]

I'm not sure of the model, but it is beautiful in my opinion. It's one of those machines that reminds us of what true craftsmanship is, and how much it has disappeared these days. Nice one!

[Uncle Vanya]

The Eagle machines were made for and sold by the Eagle Talking Machine Company, of Cleveland, Ohio. these machines used the two-spring Talk-O-Phone motor, the iron rear mount with aluminum tone arm and horn elbow, and the excellent Talk-O-Phone reproducer.


Eagle was largely owned by the White interests (of sewing machine and motor car fame).

It appears that most of the Talk-O-Phone cabinets were made by Theodore Kundtz & Co., the manufacturers of cabinets for the White Sewing machine.

A White subsidiary manufactured the Talk-O-Phone motors (as well as making the motor parts for the Babcock Syphon Company, contract manufacturers of the U. S Phonographs of the 1910 period.

The late Johnny Boehm discovered large group of a couple hundred un-drilled Talk-O-Phone cabinets (many of which retain excellent original decals) was in a former Kundtz warehouse on Clark Avenue in the late 1960's.

Many were fitted with Victrola motors, turntables and tonearms by Mr. Boehm and (especially) the late Bob Adams, and sold through the well-remembered Seville Auction.

Mr. Boehm was also the discoverer of a large group of U. S. Everlasting machines, cabinets, parts, and apetly assembled phonographs.

Unused Talk-O-Phone cabinets occasionally turn up at the various phonograph sales. A couple of years ago I picked up an empty, undrilled Sousa cabinet.


The only undoubtedly original Eagle machines that I have found were all housed in a rather plain cabinet with beaded molding. As these machines all have the desirable rear-mount assembly, many extant examples have had these cabinets replaced with the more desirable Clark and Sousa Talk-O-Phone units in the past thirty years. I personally know of at least nine machines that have been so modified.

[Steve]

A fascinating and revealing answer. Thank you for your time and input.

So was 'Eagle Talking Machine Co.' a contemporary of Talkophone or did it simply use Talkophone hardware AFTER the demise of the latter company? Is the cabinet pictured above a genuine Talkophone piece or an Eagle piece, is it possible to identify? Should the above cabinet have any identifying trademarks in order to date it and provide provenance? I'm slightly confused by what you've said. If the 'genuinely original' Eagle machines are normally found in plain cases, does this mean this might be a genuine Eagle machine but one which was re-housed into an earlier and more decorative Talkophone cabinet. Is the so-called 'Eagle' cabinet above a Talkophone commissioned piece at all?

There is scant information on the web about Talkophone and some ID's are clearly misleading. I therefore assume (without wishing to be the next victim of the Paramount / Wooden Chair Leg Company research saga ) that few collectors know much about either company and along with these machines, this makes me even more curious to find out more. If I was to buy a Talkophone / Eagle I would simply like to know what it is I've bought and to understand a little more about how it came about.

Thanks again and I hope you can answer my further questions.

Steve

[Valecnik]

A fascinating and revealing answer. Thank you for your time and input.

So was 'Eagle Talking Machine Co.' a contemporary of Talkophone or did it simply use Talkophone hardware AFTER the demise of the latter company? Is the cabinet pictured above a genuine Talkophone piece or an Eagle piece, is it possible to identify? Should the above cabinet have any identifying trademarks in order to date it and provide provenance? I'm slightly confused by what you've said. If the 'genuinely original' Eagle machines are normally found in plain cases, does this mean this might be a genuine Eagle machine but one which was re-housed into an earlier and more decorative Talkophone cabinet. Is the so-called 'Eagle' cabinet above a Talkophone commissioned piece at all?

There is scant information on the web about Talkophone and some ID's are clearly misleading. I therefore assume (without wishing to be the next victim of the Paramount / Wooden Chair Leg Company research saga ) that few collectors know much about either company and along with these machines, this makes me even more curious to find out more. If I was to buy a Talkophone / Eagle I would simply like to know what it is I've bought and to understand a little more about how it came about.

Thanks again and I hope you can answer my further questions.

Steve

Uncle Vanya, Your post was very interesting. You really have a lot of knowledge about these machines and I too would be interested in any more in depth information you could provide. Thanks a lot.

[Steve]

I don't think its' original?