Would you repaint this horn?

[hillndalefan]

Just for information's sake, the clear, colored finishes they used once in a while were done by dissolving a powdered dye [usually blue or red] in shellac and then spraying that on the new, shiny horn. This gave a strikingly beautiful metallic finish that is rarely seen in good shape today. I have a red example on a Columbia BN disc graphophone. I don't know if anyone has a nice shiny new example horn to try it on, but that's how they did it.

[Valecnik]

Does anyone have images of these two other horns? I believe, from scratches that are more recent, that the horn was a shinny tin at one point and that the clear blue coat could have very well been what coated the now rusted parts. Since this is impossible to replicate without an insane amount of restoration, I probably will leave it alone...

It did look good on a well used but descent shape Victor V that I had, but on my German HMV it doesnt sit well because the machine is in too nice of condition. So I guess I need to buy another phonograph! Gosh, what a dilema!

I'm one of those that Steve was referring to. I had a talkaphone with one of those horns but unfortunately the only picture I have shows just the front of the horn. I do recall that horn, and another talkaphone horn I once had appeared to be just bare tin on the back but could well have had a clear blue coat at one time. There was no evidence of that on either horn though.