The life story of an old horn gramophone/phonograph...

[nostalgia]

The life story of a horn gramophone, and how the smallest decisions in life can change everything:
(The number of the photos given reflects the actual number of the photo, not necessarily how they appear in this thread)

Three days ago I received photo number 1 from a seller, where the asking price was 20 euro for this gramophone.
The price seemed unbelievable, but I also was worried about the wooden finish of the gramophone, the photo was blurry, it looked like it probably/maybe was glitches in the corners of the wooden case, maybe even the case was homemade.
I put a 20 euro bid anyway and asked for more photos, preferably of the soundbox and the motor. Some hours later another bidder put a 30 euro bid, and I had still only seen one photo. I told the seller that I would let the other bidder had the gramophone, but in the same message said that it was because I could not see the soundbox and motor, and now also the seller had told me the crank was missing. One hour later a soundbox photo was uploaded , photo number 2. I immediately became more interested, and asked the seller if it was too late to show a renewed interest. He replied it was not too late, the other bidder was at work, and he had not yet told him that I earlier today had decided to leave the bidding. After getting photo number 2 I realized the soundbox alone was worth 20 dollars as I viewed it, and also that the gramophone maybe was a Parlophon, and Parlophons do not have homemade wooden boxes!During the evening the other bidder also raised his bids, and I was told he also had been viewing the gramophone for real, since he lived close to the seller. I raised the bid with another 10 euro, but also asked for more photos of the wooden case, but received an answer in return that the seller had no time for taking more photos, he was tidying the house for moving to an apartment. He also had no idea how to open the gramophone to take photos of the motor. During the weekend, I needed raise the bid with 10 euro several times, and the seller finally told me he would stop the bidding at 10 am Sunday, standard european time. I was during the weekened again scrutinizing the first photo, I also realized the cupboard beside the gramophone also looked strange on the photo, maybe it was the light conditions and the unfocused shot, that made the case look strange. On Sunday morning at 09.30 I rcceived an email from the seller, he told me the other bidder had offered 110 euro, after myself bidding 100 euro the night before. I started write a message on my phone, saying I now would let the other bidder had it for 110 euoro which now was the last bid from him.. I was close to push the send button, but hesitated a few seconds. I decided to look at the uploaded photos one more time. There it was, the seller had the same morning finally uploaded a photo of the wooden case, photo number 3, showing a corner of the case. It was not homemade, it was a genuine case. I immediately sent a new bid, 120 euro. Minutes passed, the clock passed 10 am, nothing heard. 10.30 am, an sms arrived, saying I had won the bidding of the gramophone, but I had to collect it today (yesterday) or the next day to get it. One hour later I was in my car, driving 150 km to get the gramophone.
My phone GPS sent me far out in a remote countryside, I would never have been able to get there without a GPS, driving for a long time on narrow muddy roads, passing small bridges over small lakes, and eventually ending on an old farm. I knocked the door, and out came an old man, in his early 80’s. He welcomed me into the kitchen, it was like stepping back into the early 1900’s. He told me he had lived on the farm since 1988, but before that time his uncle and aunt run the farm, and he was visting them during the summers as a child, to work on the farm. The gramophone had been on a shelf in the house, since 1988, never been brought down! And he also knew it had not been in use for the last 50 years or so. Unbelievable. The old man told me he was a retired school headmaster, he was not really a farmer, but had owned the farm since 1988, inherited from his uncle. I asked if he knew something more about the gramophone, where his uncle had got it from. He then told me that his grandparents had owned the farm before his uncle, and some elder neighbours had told him that during the 1920’s the farm was wellknown for attracting attention from distant neighbours who came in small boats to the iceland, which at that time had no bridge, to “party” on the farm, in the farm’s kitchen. They came to dance to a gramophone playing during the 1920’s! I looked at the old man saying, are you telling me this gramophone was here during the 1920’s? Yes, this is the same gramophone, and it has been here for 100 years. The gramophone now was on the kitchen table ( which was from the 1880’s!) standing there right in front of me. The old man then suddenly said: ” I also found this!”. In his hands he held the crank, he had been able to open the gramophone, and inside was the crank! I was as happy as a lark of course, and yes...the motor was working! I felt shivers down my spine, I was standing close to gramophone with this unique history, and this old man, himself 81 was now about to leave the farm for good, to move to a small apartment, since also his wife had died the year before. He could not bring the gramophone, and he also never had used it, he admitted being more of a book worm than a music enthusiast. I asked the old man I I was allowed to take a photo of the farm house, and also told I would print this photo, frame it, and put it beside the gramophone in my living room. On the back side of the photo, I would put the date of my purchase, and also write down his name, and the history of the gramophone on the back of the photo. He was very moved by this, and said he felt the gramophone now was in the best hands..
I have taken some new photos today (photo 4-10), also of the motor. I hope someone can help me identify the gramophone, if it is a Parlophon ( I have no idea if Parlophon sold their soundboxes to other manufacturers). As you can see the wooden case is very plain, oak ?, and in need of oiling, but genuine enough. The horn has lost some of its glow, at least on the outside, on the inside it looks better. I am not sure however if you would advice to do something about the horn, or leave it as it is. Inside the gramophone was a broken spring, obviously changed, the crank/handle (luckily), and a tin of needles). I have no idea why the rubber was placed over the needle of the soundbox, the glass proved itself to be unbroken amd the needle also is okay.
This was the story, so far, of this approximate 100 year old gramophone. I hope you enjoyed to read it.

[Inigo]

I think it's a great purchase. German Gramophones were impressive, aren't they?

[Orchorsol]

What a wonderful, enchanting story! These rare things, when they happen, really make the hobby come alive.

Personally I would leave the case and horn exactly as they are, with only the lightest touch of conservation - especially in view of the story, it should wear its age and honest patina with pride. The horn looks beautiful as it is. I've left horns in worse condition unrestored, and just gone over them with a gentle acidic rust remover and then used wax furniture polish, and they look great and age-appropriate.

The question I'm itching to ask is - were there any records with it? That would be icing on the cake, even if they were uninteresting musically - to have some of the records which those people in the 1920s came to hear and dance to! But maybe the owners got rid of them many years ago. It's no less a story if so...

[nostalgia]

Thank you for welcome responses:) Yes, I felt such stories are important to sometimes write down, when they are available, it is for sure adding an extra to our hobby/work, and is valuable information for future generations too, and as you say Orchorsol: “What a wonderful, enchanting story! These rare things, when they happen, really make the hobby come alive.”
The more I look at the gramophone, the more I also agree with you about not touching it much, apart from maybe oiling the wood, that is in big need ot some care, in addition to lubricate the motor.
Actually, 15 minutes after leaving the farm I sent the old man an sms regarding any records belonging to the gramophone. The new owner has taken the job to clean out the farm, and also receive all the antiques that the old man himself is not selling or keeping, but I asked him to please tell the new owner to contact me if he ever find the old records belonging to the gramophone instead of possibly throwing them to waste.

[estott]

The rubber might have been an attempt to fix a rattle or buzz in the needle bar, or reduce volume.

I agree with Orchosol- a light cleaning to remove dirt and decayed paint, then a coat of wax. If you can get Microcrystaline wax, all the better.

[nostalgia]

Thank you for all advice on how to clean and wax the metal horn. I appreciate it much, I now have ordered Renaissance Microcrystalline wax, it looks that I actually also can use it on both the wooden case and the horn. Great.

[Marco Gilardetti]

The rubber might have been an attempt to fix a rattle or buzz in the needle bar, or reduce volume.

I totally agree with the above, which also means that the soundbox needs to be completely rehauled (which is anyway absolutely obvious for a soundbox that never had maintenance in 100 years).

Your comment "the needle also is OK" seems to imply that you are new to this hobby and may ignore that the needle shall be changed at every record played.

The picture of the gramophone inside farm framed and put besides the gramophone is indeed a nice touch, very clever idea!

[nostalgia]

Yes, I am new to gramophone collecting, despite having my first HMV since 1990. When I wrote "the needle is okay", I was thinking about the glass or needle not being broken, something I first felt it could be when watching the first photos. Thank you though for stating that the needle should be changed, I did not know this, I thought maybe only the gasket and the membrane needed to be exhanged. I have not yet restored a soundbox, even if I have purchased both gasket and glass for an Exhibition soundbox that need to be fixed. I need learn to solder, I want to learn this properly, before starting on a soundbox;)
I tested the horn gramophone yesterday, it played better than expected, but really...I will not use this horn gramophone too much, it will be standing on the drawer in my sleeping room, so I can look at it from the bed. Still, when I feel I can do it properly, I WILL open also this soundbox and make it as perfect as I can:)
My sitting room is getting slowly, or rather fast, overcrowded with gramophones, and it is in my sitting room I will normally use a console HMV for playing 78's, at the time being my Model 250 is my favorite.
But thank you again for all advice:)

Update: Marco: I now understand you were talking about the needles for playing, and yes..I am well aware of changing them for every record. I was referring to the needle on the soundbox in my text, since I in the past have experienced those needles having been released from the center of the diaphragm.

[Marco Gilardetti]

Ah, I see! That's called the needlebar, if I remember correctly.