Victor Talking Machine - World's Largest Orthophonic?

[bbphonoguy]

I'm still going with estott on this one. It does not seem at all incredible that this sort of advertising stunt could have been pulled off at that time. In fact, it seems kind of normal compared with some of the other examples he posted.

Maybe this was originally meant to tie in with the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia in 1926, but wasn't finished in time? Anyway, I'm saying that this thing did exist, and I would like to find out more about it.

[OrthoFan]

This is the best I've been able to come up with--so far--in terms of an online photograph of the Giant Victrola.

Perhaps there are others? It would be great to see a few close up photographs.

FROM: Delaware River Port Authority -- By Cheryl L. Baisden
SEE: GOOGLE BOOK SEARCH -- GIANT VICTROLA CAMDEN

Maybe this was originally meant to tie in with the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia in 1926....

Notice the reference in the photo to boarding "the buses to Philadelphia." I think you may have hit the nail on the head. (Wish other parts of the book were visible to confirm!)

[JohnM]

I've only visited the old VTMCo once and that was back in 2001. I recall the factory being to the right of the bridge when crossing from Philadelphia, so then, is this photo taken from the Camden side? Are we looking at the back or front of the giant Credenza? If this is the Camden side, it would seem strange for it to be mounted toward the back of the building if aimed at Philadelphia. It must have been on the roof for at least 4 or 5 years judging from the logo on the building . . . itust be at least 1930 in the photo.

[estott]

Walt, it's quite probable that they photographed the machine and the lady at ground level, then matted it onto a picture of the building- that or else it sits fairly far from the edge of the roof so she isn't going to fall off the edge if she slips. But I'm still going to hold that the Victor Co. really did build this big cased horn up on the roof. It was an age of ballyhoo, and Victor was rolling in money and could afford to do something flashy. It's no more improbable than the Underwood Co. building a working 14 ton typewriter: http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/ ... hs-14-tons in fact it is MORE probable since all Victor had to do was put a big box on the roof and hook it to an amplifier.

As to the April date- a nice coincidence.

[coyote]

...so she isn't going to fall off the edge if she slips.

Now THAT would have been news-worthy and researchable! Splat! (Sorry, I had to!)

[OrthoFan]

But I'm still going to hold that the Victor Co. really did build this big cased horn up on the roof. It was an age of ballyhoo, and Victor was rolling in money and could afford to do something flashy.

Estott:

Didn't you see the photo I posted--four posts up? I think that pretty well proves that they did. I rather doubt that photo was faked.

OF

[bbphonoguy]

Ortho Fan: Thanks for the great photo!

Walt: Thanks for starting this thread! It's one of the most interesting I've participated in.

Still would like to know when and how the giant Victrola met its demise.

[estott]

But I'm still going to hold that the Victor Co. really did build this big cased horn up on the roof. It was an age of ballyhoo, and Victor was rolling in money and could afford to do something flashy.

Estott:

Didn't you see the photo I posted--four posts up? I think that pretty well proves that they did. I rather doubt that photo was faked.

OF

Oh I saw that one- it has been proven quite well, to my satisfaction at least.

[OrthoFan]

Oh I saw that one- it has been proven quite well, to my satisfaction at least.

Glad to hear that. I worry some times that my posts aren't displaying properly.

In any event, to add to the speculation, I'm wondering if this was actually equipped with the loudspeaker described in this patent -- http://www.google.com/patents/about?id= ... ton+Haigis -- rather than the conventional folded horn, which was designed by Maxfield and Harrison. (The article Tom Rhodes cited mentions the fact that Haigis designed the special sound system used in the giant Victrola--"connected with a plurality of electrical units." The patent for the high performance loudspeaker was applied for shortly after the Giant Victrola would have been designed/constructed.)

[estott]

I think it was a loudspeaker coupled to a horn, similar to the Western Electric system used in theaters.