Fanola Portable Gramophone

Discussions on Talking Machines of British or European Manufacture
User avatar
Enrico
Victor I
Posts: 116
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:03 am
Location: Florence, Italy

Fanola Portable Gramophone

Post by Enrico »

Just wanted to share with you this funny portable machine that I just found in my collection.
Best,
Enrico
Attachments
IMG_20210204_145514.jpg
IMG_20210204_145505.jpg
IMG_20210204_145450.jpg

HMVDevotee
Victor I
Posts: 171
Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2019 1:26 pm
Personal Text: Spin'em Fast!
Location: Western North Carolina

Re: Fanola Portable Gramophone

Post by HMVDevotee »

Enrico,

Seldom do we find something unique! Fascinated by this odd design, I just did a quick internet search of "Fanola" and found no references or images! Any indication of country origin?

Robert

User avatar
Enrico
Victor I
Posts: 116
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:03 am
Location: Florence, Italy

Re: Fanola Portable Gramophone

Post by Enrico »

HMVDevotee wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:58 am Enrico,

Seldom do we find something unique! Fascinated by this odd design, I just did a quick internet search of "Fanola" and found no references or images! Any indication of country origin?

Robert
Hi Robert,

I haven't found anything either! And at the moment I have no indication of the country of origin. I'll do some research and more photos of the machine anyway.

Thanks,
Enrico

User avatar
alang
VTLA
Posts: 3115
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:36 am
Personal Text: TMF Moderator
Location: Delaware

Re: Fanola Portable Gramophone

Post by alang »

That's a very interesting design. How does it sound?

BTW: I envy you for the fact that you can "just find machines in your collection". I understand that you inherited your collection, but that feeling of being able to discover something new in it must be amazing. If I discover something in my collection it's usually because age made me forget about it :lol:

Thanks for sharing.
Andreas

User avatar
Curt A
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 6658
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 8:32 pm
Personal Text: Needle Tins are Addictive
Location: Belmont, North Carolina

Re: Fanola Portable Gramophone

Post by Curt A »

I searched everywhere, but couldn't find any company information except their original theme song...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puxwF779v9o
"The phonograph† is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.

"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife

User avatar
Steve
Victor VI
Posts: 3377
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:40 pm
Location: London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, New York, Evesham

Re: Fanola Portable Gramophone

Post by Steve »

I love it.

What does it say on the support arm? I've tried zooming in but my eyes aren't that good anymore, sadly! :D

Thanks for sharing it with us.

User avatar
Inigo
Victor Monarch
Posts: 4159
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2017 1:51 am
Personal Text: Keep'em well oiled
Location: Madrid, Spain
Contact:

Re: Fanola Portable Gramophone

Post by Inigo »

What I've read in the logo under Fanola is Ferguson Patent.
The arm seems to say NOT... something
Inigo

CarlosV
Victor IV
Posts: 1965
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2009 6:18 am
Location: Luxembourg

Re: Fanola Portable Gramophone

Post by CarlosV »

Very interesting machine indeed! The fan resembles the Lumière diaphragm, with the needle connection directly to the center of the fan, differing in that the Lumière utilizes a wooden rod as link between the paper center and the needle. The name on the label suggests an English machine, quite unique! an inspection of the motor may provide further clues about its origin.

User avatar
Curt A
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 6658
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 8:32 pm
Personal Text: Needle Tins are Addictive
Location: Belmont, North Carolina

Re: Fanola Portable Gramophone

Post by Curt A »

I would love to find one of these, since it is an unusual design... Probably not much chance of finding one since it seems to be very obscure.

The fan is interesting, since it is not an acoustic "horn", more like a diaphragm similar to a Polly portable...

The brake looks similar to something I have seen on other portables. It might be a clue to the country of manufacture.
"The phonograph† is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.

"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife

VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
Posts: 3255
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: Fanola Portable Gramophone

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

The sticker in the lid appears to say "Ferguson's Patent" underneath. Was there a Ferguson who invented gramophone parts?

Post Reply