Craigslist Unknown Brand

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antique1973
Victor IV
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Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 3:30 am
Personal Text: Victor Z, Victrola 4-3

Craigslist Unknown Brand

Post by antique1973 »

Somebody must be familiar with this grill. Its a Victrola wantabe. Anybody know what it is?


http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/atq/1750003792.html

Kirkwood
Victor II
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Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:17 pm

Re: Craigslist Unknown Brand

Post by Kirkwood »

Some years ago, a collector friend had a Charmophone Talking Machine that looked a lot like this. The only ID was a small brass plate tacked inside the lid, otherwise it was unremarkably different from any other off brand. It had the potmetal tonearm, Heinemann motor, etc. The finish was quite dark. Even back then I thought it was a ho-hum machine. The only on-line reference I could find to this company was located in Fulton NY back in the 1920s.

Kirkwood
Victor II
Posts: 391
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:17 pm

Re: Craigslist Unknown Brand

Post by Kirkwood »

Based on another subsequent post, it seems I had the company's name wrong----make this a possible "Charm-a-phone" (instead of Charm-o-phone). Although-----a web search turned up a report from a 1920 Oswego NY paper that notes:

"Out in Pulaski, ....the chimney of the Charmophone factory got in the way of lightning with the result that the Ringgold Fire Company went into action as a bucket brigade. The damage to property was slight, but the wear and tear on nerves was terrific".

Maybe the spellings got changed over the years, or maybe there was some confusion in the local press on how it was properly spelled.

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