Mystery cylinder phonograph

[Hyperion]

Can anyone tell me what make and model this phonograph is? I guess it looks most like a Columbia Graphophone B, and the reproducer kind of looks like a Columbia (sorry -- this is the only photo I was sent), but the key (if that's what that ship-wheel looking thing is) is odd and the governor is in the wrong place. I have no idea if the case is original, either. Any thoughts/theories?

[Curt A]

It's original... not sure what the brand is, but if you contact this user on the Forum, he has one like it and can shed some light on what it is: john9ten

The ships wheel winding key is also original and that's what made it memorable...

[Lucius1958]

This is (IIRC) a European machine: the marquetry(?) on the case is a telling detail.

Bill

[Jerry B.]

I bought the identical machine at the 2016 APS show from my friend Mike Sorter. It's a Britannia Type A made in London. I love the inlaid wood and especially the ships wheel for winding. How British! Jerry Blais

[gsphonos]

Great find! That is the only other one I have ever seen besides the one I sold to Jerry. Can you take a picture of the reproducer? As I recall, when the friend I got my machine from found it, it didn't have a reproducer on it, and he used a Columbia floating reproducer, which worked just fine. Maybe that is what you have, and maybe that is what it came with to begin with--just can't quite see the complete reproducer in your picture. I loved that machine and the inlaid case--and glad it went to a great home with Jerry!

Mike Sorter
Riverside, CA

[gsphonos]

By the way, Curt A said to contact john9ten about getting more information about this machine--that is who I got my machine from (that was later sold to Jerry).

Mike

[budsta]

Great looking machine.
I have seen 3 over the years in Australia.
You certainly don't come across them very often.

stephen

[Dulcetto]

Hi, As Jerry B. has remarked , this is a " Britannia " Model A phonograph originally marketed in the UK. However , they were not made in London but by Thorens of St. Croix in Switzerland , especially to the order of the B.H. Abrahams company who marketed disc musical boxes and other items under their " Britannia " brand name. It has many standard Thorens design features , but of course also several features unique to the brand such as the inlaid Sheraton style cover and the ship's-wheel winder. Some of these turn up with a B.H. Abrahams metal plate to the front of the base-board but most do not. The reproducer is of a standard Thorens style as fitted to the smaller of their models, but has the additional word " Britannia " stamped above the word " Reproducer " on the top of its metal body. I have an original advert for these , the new price as shown on the advert was £5-10-0 , which was reasonably expensive compared to other similar machines then on the market. No doubt sales figures were never that high , which may account for their relative rarity. Regards from England Dulcetto

[tinovanderzwan]

indeed a beautifull machine

tino

[Jerry B.]

Dulcetto, Thanks for your post and information (and London correction ). Can you give us an idea what the reproducer looked like?

Thanks, Jerry Blais