Zonophone phonograph

[Jerry B.]

I don't claim to be a Zonophone expert but think any Zonophone with a wood motor board was sold when Victor had acquired its assets and controlled basic designs. I have seen several Zonophones with the back bracket mounted over one of the decals. Why, I don't know, but unless you see signs of a prior front mount being attached, I think your machine was always a rear mount. Perhaps there were still entry level machines being offered as front mount machines but your Zonophone is a mid-level model like a Victor 2 or 3. Please, let's have a Zonophone expert chime it!

Jerry B.

[vic-b]

It's been a very long time since I have been on the forum.

Zonophones with wooden motor boards, rather than metal, would have been made after the acquisition of Zonophone by Victor in 1904. The back bracket covering the decal is easily explained. As Victor would already have motors and motor boards for their own line, they would no longer need the more expensive metal bedplates and motors of the Zonophone. That is also why the late Zonophones had Victor cranks. Victor is using pre-Victor Zonophone cases with Victor wooden motor boards and Victor motors. Remember that the metal bedplate Zonophones had the travel arm support mounted on the motor board, NOT the case! Look at a front mount metal bedplate Zonophone, and you will see the decal on the back. When Victor started using these Zonophone cases to make back mounted machines, they just covered the decal in the back! They did not care about the aesthetics.

There would have been no drill holes in the front of the cases for a front mount travel arm support.

Without case measurements, this is most likely a post-Victor Zonophone Concert. But s could be a Home or a Parlor. You can tell it is later because the front decal just says Zonophone, not the model.

Hope this helps the discussion!

Best,
Jeff
Wisconsin

[dzavracky]

Thanks Jeff! I don't know much about the zonophone models, but is there a way to pinpoint which model this one is? Whether it's a concert, parlor, or home?

David

[alang]

Maybe the catalog pictures below will help deciding what model that is? Sorry, don't have a pic of the later Home model.

Andreas

[dzavracky]

Yes it does. Mine would be the Parlor model!

Thanks,
David

[phonogfp]

The Zono Concert shown above still uses the metal motor board. David's machine is of later design. Here's a page from a later Zonophone catalog (no earlier than 1907) showing the later Zonophone Concert.

George P.

[phonogfp]

Yes it does. Mine would be the Parlor model!

Thanks,
David

No, the Parlor has only a single mainspring, and lacks the chamfered cabinet corners. Yours is the Concert.

George P.

[dzavracky]

Oh okay! Thanks George

Does the decal not look a little different in the ad though?

David

[phonogfp]

Oh okay! Thanks George

Does the decal not look a little different in the ad though?

David

You're welcome, David!

The catalog illustrations all show those odd-looking decals on the fronts of the cabinets. I suspect it was artistic license to make them show up on the wooden cabinets in the catalog.

George P.

[Zwebie]

dzavracky wrote: ↑Wed Dec 15, 2021 10:27 pm
Hi everyone,

Can someone please confirm which crank I need to complete this machine? Is it the one pictured in Kevin's post?

Thanks,

David

David,
The crank you need is now on Ebay!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175113138390?s ... Track=true

Bob S