Hawthorne & Sheble cranes -- Columbia Type B and Q

[TinfoilPhono]

Hawthorne & Sheble marketed cranes for Columbia's two diminutive Graphophones. I have two reprinted H&S catalogs, both undated. One shows Grand Graphophones and the early style BS coin-op so it's likely around 1899. The other lists disc machines, including Victor and Zonophone, so it's clearly past the turn of the century. The early catalog lists cranes for both the B and Q, but the later one only offers the Q.

A friend has an original Q crane foot (shown below). Very cool piece, but it wouldn't work on a B. The position of the hole wouldn't fit the Eagle base (unless, of course, someone simply screwed it into the wood base). But in looking at the (sadly poor) photo of the B crane in the early catalog it appears that the Eagle crane must have been flat at the end, and simply slipped between the motor frame and the wood base rather than having a socket as on the Q.

Does anyone out there have an original they could show? These are such interesting and scarce accessories today!

[Fonotone]

René,

I had (emphasis on had) a B in a very cool velvet-lined custom folding cabinet with some type of aftermarket crane and crane foot. Might have been H&S; might have been someone else. See pics below. As you know, I've bought and sold hundreds of phonographs over the years, and I've tried not to get too attached to any of them, because I know that most of them are "short termers," but this is one that I truly regret having sold.

-- Grant

[TinfoilPhono]

Now I remember when you offered that. It really was a sweet little machine. Interestingly, that crane foot looks pretty much identical to the Q foot, quite possibly just slipped between the machine and the base without any screw to anchor it. H&S may or may not have offered it that way -- I hope we can determine that -- but it sure seems like a simple and elegant approach.

Thanks for the pictures!

EDIT to add: looking at your pictures again that really does look like it's a Q crane base. Note the off-center position of the socket (leaving room for a screw hole) and the thin ridge around the bottom. Looks like a perfect match to my friend's Q.

[Shawn]

Hey René,

Here is a better picture of the B crane from a 1901 Columbia Catalog. I have seen one of these in person, so I know one still exists. It has a flat piece of metal that fits under the Eagle bed plate to which the crane bar is attached. Super cool item.

Good luck finding one!! I hope you do.

I finally found one of the Columbia table cranes. Its diminutive, and really cool.

Shawn

[phonocrank]

Rene

Here is a few pictures of one of my Columbia B's with the crane you are looking for.

[TinfoilPhono]

That is a very cool design! Thanks for sharing those detailed pictures.

[phonogfp]

Phonocrank, thanks for those nice photos. What a great crane! Could you possibly take a photo or two of the flat part that's inserted in the mechanism?

Many thanks - -

George P.

[phonocrank]

George, here are a few more pictures of that Columbia Type B crane.

[phonogfp]

Wow - that's even more interesting than I thought! What a clever design - - thanks a million for posting those additional pictures.

George P.

[phonocrank]

You're welcome.