What is your earliest phonograph memory/what lured you into

[travisgreyfox]

I got the idea for this from one of Jerry B’s posts talking about early memories from Union. I remember the first time I ever saw a phonograph (gramophone at the time). My parents use to take my sister and I (8 and 10 respectively) traveling all over the U.K. Since my parents were yanks, they enjoyed picking a new place to travel to every weekend. When we would get to our destination we would always go check out antique stores. Being a young lad I didn’t particularly enjoy this part of trip. Anyway, in one shop we stopped at I seen a machine with a big outside horn. I remember being awestruck by it since I have only seen such things in movies. The shop owner asked if I wanted to hear it and cranked it up and played the record that was on it. As soon as I heard Doris Day’s voice (Que Sera Sera) I knew I wanted one. My parents told me I was crazy and that these type of record players are over-priced and I can get a much better electric one that played 8-tracks for a lot cheaper. Even though the store owner had the wrong record on his machine, I can still see the beauty of it and hear Doris Day’s graceful voice to this day since it is seared in my memory.

[epigramophone]

In the mid 1950's my parents and other relations were making the change from 78 to LP. One of them gave me their old portable gramophone with a few records, and when I showed a keen interest other family members followed as their own gramophones and records became redundant.

In those days people were glad to give such things to anyone who appreciated them, rather than see them thrown away, and I still have the Columbia 204 portable bought new as a 21st birthday present for my favourite aunt in 1934.

[Jerry B.]

I was 17 and a senior in high school. My history class had a field trip to someones private museum. It was set up like a general store with lots of interesting items on display. One of the items was a cylinder machine probably a Home or Standard. I was totally amazed when the record was played. I know I slowed the group by asking to hear just one more cylinder. I was hooked. About three years later I purchased my first cylinder player. It was a two minute Home B with a large morning glory horn and a few cylinders and the cost was $150.

Many years later is was playing coed volleyball and we had my team over for pizza. After pizza I was all too happy to take the group down to the basement. Someone commented "Jerry, you are out of control!" I took that as a compliment.

Jerry B.

[EdiBrunsVic]

I was about the same age as Jerry when my interest began and also a high school student at the time. A Victrola in a nearby antique shop got my attention. It led to the purchase of a VV-50 a few weeks later for $25.
Don

[A Ford 1]

Hi all,
I was about 7, in 1945, when my grandfather George Oetken died and his large Victor came into our cellar. It came with all his classical and semi-classical German and Austrian music as well as Marches, laughing and world war one records. I did not discover these records until my 10 year older sister and her friends were bored with dancing etc. to some popular records.
Allen

[startgroove]

The San Fernando Valley Savings And Loan had just opened at the corner of Sherman Way and Vassar Ave, in Canoga Park. I opened my first savings account there, and in the lobby was a display, by a local collector, of mechanical music machines. I marveled at a very small phonograph and read the descriptive sign several times over. I think it was an Edison Gem. I heard a kind sounding voice behind me, he was offering to demonstrate the little machine, and he did. He offered to me for $15, way out of my budget. I just loved the novelty and the sound of it. That was about 1956, and it wasn't until 1972 that I acquired my first phonograph, a Standard Model A. Russie

[FellowCollector]

My interest in early phonographs was inspired by a visit to an antique show in Bouckville NY many years ago. Tim Fabrizio was set up in a dealer space in one large field that day and I was immediately smitten by the look and sound of his machines. A few days later I did some inquiring of antique dealers in the area we lived in at that time and found a long time phonograph collector, George "Doug" Anderson of Herkimer NY who invited me for a visit to his old schoolhouse that he converted into his "Old Phony" shop. I was even more smitten with phonographs and with his guidance I began my collection. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then and hundreds of phonographs have found their way to my collection but I will always cherish those early days. I still have my very first phonograph, a common Edison S-19 in mahogany that I didn't even know how to use with that funky lever controlling the position of the tone arm. I'll always remember the Edison Diamond Disc that was mounted on it that day, "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen". At the time it was WONDERFUL but since then I've found so many copies of it I avoid playing it like the plague.

Doug

[OrthoSean]

George "Doug" Anderson of Herkimer NY who invited me for a visit to his old schoolhouse that he converted into his "Old Phony" shop.

There's a name that takes me back. I first visited Doug with my Dad around 1987 right after I had gotten my first DD machine, a CC-32. Doug was so kind and pointed me to a wall loaded with DDs and instructed me to select as many as I wanted and he'd give me a deal. I was 13 or 14 and had no real idea what I was doing, so I just picked out a bunch of things that had what I thought would be fun content. He charged me 10 cents a disc! He also sent me home with some cylinders for my Home Model A which I had owned and fixed up with the help of an older local collector a few years before. I started at 10 with a junky portable machine that we would now call a Frankenphone, but back then I had no idea.

I ended up going to HCCC for junior college from 1991-1993 and had the pleasure of spending a lot of time at Doug's place, but by the time I was almost ready to transfer to Plattsburgh State after, Doug's health and mental state had begun to fade. The last time I visited him, he didn't really even remember who I was. What a nice guy, though, he was very generous to me and shared a lot of information, I'll never forget his kindness. I've always looked back on that time fondly and always believed in paying it forward to others new to the hobby as he did with me. I still have a lot of the cylinders I bought from him all those years ago!

Sean

[bigshot]

When I was a kid, my sister listened to the early Beatles albums, and my brother listened to his antique phonograph. He was an Edison fan, so he gave me- the little brother- the 78s he stumbled across in batches of diamond disks. I loved Harry Lauder's It's Tough to Get Up in the Morning and Billy Murray and Bake Dat Chicken Pie and Owl and the Pussycat and Good Morning Mr Zip Zip Zip, and I'd play them over and over on my suitcase record player. I didn't get an acoustic phonograph until much later, but the music has always been a part of my life.

There was a man named Brouse who lived in our neighborhood and his house was a museum full of amazing machines. I visited him a couple of times too.

[FellowCollector]

I'll never forget his kindness. I've always looked back on that time fondly and always believed in paying it forward to others new to the hobby as he did with me.

Great post, Sean. Doug Anderson sure was a great guy. Not to side track this thread too much, but my very first outside horn phonograph was an Edison Home Model A that I bought at the Brimfield (Mass) antique show. I saw that enticing 'Edison Home Phonograph' banner decal on a dealer's table, ran right over to it, asked the price ($400...yikes!), asked if it works (the dealer said it DID!) and I bought it without even trying it out.

I was so excited to find my first outside horn phonograph. Soon as I got it back to the hotel room where I was staying (for the antique show) I cranked it up and there was plenty of tension but the crank just spun right back around on it. I knew that something was not right about it.

A few days later after I returned home I proudly brought my new Edison Home Phonograph to Doug Anderson to get his approval. I was so excited to show him my first outside horn phonograph. He politely shared my joy even after I explained, "for some reason, Doug, the crank comes right back on it when I try to crank it up...". He knew exactly what was wrong. Instead of sending me back home with a scolding that I should have tried it out first or telling me that the ratchet gear was shot and it would be a costly repair and mistake, he said to me, "Well, the problem you have with your Edison Home Phonograph will take a while for me to fix for you...so just follow me...". And he lead me into his spare parts room with lots and lots of phonograph motors hanging from roof rafters. He grabbed a long wood pole and began poking at some of the hanging Edison motors until he found the one he wanted. Since I'm 6'3" he said "can you grab that motor right there and hand it down to me?". I did and Doug said, "this is a good complete Edison Home motor that you can HAVE for free. Let's just replace your complete motor so when you leave here you'll be able to enjoy your Edison Home phonograph the way it should have been when you bought it." He kept my bad motor, charged me nothing and sent me home with a couple of cylinders. I was smiling all the way home knowing I could finally play a cylinder record on my phonograph. I'll never forget the compassion and generosity he had for me as a young collector who, in my haste to own my first outside horn phonograph, got taken "for a ride" by an antique dealer.

Doug