Auditorium Orthophonic Victrola dance and presentation

[MarkELynch]

I was asked to give a short presentation in Maryland at the site where the only known remaining Victor Auditorium Orthophonic horn was installed in 1927. Dancing to the sound of the gigantic Auditorium Orthophonic in the ballroom will follow.

Mark

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[JerryVan]

Looks very compact, for its size. Is the driver in the "septum" of the horn? What is used for the driver? Original driver?

Thanks!!

[MarkELynch]

Jerry, do some research and then you get four guesses!

Here is a. photo from the event.

Mark

[JerryVan]

Jerry, do some research and then you get four guesses!

Here is a. photo from the event.

Mark
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Thanks. Very informative.

[OrthoFan]

I watched the short video -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWvKz7CIQ44

Even with the echo, you can tell that the 20 foot folded horn --

Whats the best loudspeaker and why.pdf

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-- packs quite a wallop! I'd love to hear some Orthophonic recordings from the late 1920s played on it. I think the version of Stardust played actually dates from 1933. (Don't know about it being the biggest hit of 1927; but arguably one of the best from that year.)

Mark, a few questions only you can answer --

Were the original electronic components used, or was this rigged up to a modern amplifier and speaker driver/voice coil?

I noticed the horn resembles a giant version of the one installed in the VV-8-12, with the heart positioned vertically. Is the conduit inside the heart divided into two or four sections?

Will the missing grille which is shown in the historic photos be replaced, or will the horn be left exposed?

OrthoFan

[MarkELynch]

The presentations by myself and the audio engineer were recorded and may appear on the Save our Seminary website at some point. If this does not happen I’ll be glad to answer the technical and historical questions.

In the meantime, for those able to reach Facebook, follow this link to see the history of the National Park Seminary, where the horn was installed in 1927. It was a very exclusive and expensive girl’s finishing schools prior to being taken over by Walter Reed Army Hospital as an annex for returning WW2 veterans. The president of the school had no problem spending the $8705.66 for the installation, the equivalent of about $151,000.00 today. The amount comes from the Victor meeting notes at the Hagley Museum in Delaware (available on line). The proximity to DC and the girl’s access to naval cadets in Annapolis at arranged dances had political benefits.

https://www.facebook.com/saveourseminary

I think the horn survived in its original location because the army had no incentive to replace or remove it. It is the only known survivor of about 150. The dance halls, skating rinks, public installations and private residences are all gone, burned or torn down. There is a rumor that the Seminary horn was walled over, to protect it from basketballs when the ballroom was used as a gymnasium by the soldiers. The wall, if true, would have further preserved it from removal.

The whereabouts of the console connected to the horn is unknown and likely lost. There were two, the first burned up shortly after installation, it was replaced in 1928. There is evidence of soot from the fire on the brick wall where it once stood.



Mark

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[OrthoFan]

Hi Mark:

Many thanks. I guess one of the girls at the school played "We'll Have a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" one too many times.

OF

[need4art]

What a great piece of history! I am very, very jealous of the fact that Mark and friends are close to this horn,
Ever gone in and really cranked it up???
Abe

[MarkELynch]

Details of the screen that once covered the Auditorium horn are covered in the article in the Voice of the Victor.

Mark

[OrthoFan]

Details of the screen that once covered the Auditorium horn are covered in the article in the Voice of the Victor.

Mark

Many thanks!

I'd like to think that somewhere in the world this "tapestry" still exists and is being enjoyed in some very wealthy person's home. While the exposed wood is beautiful, in and of itself, I can see that positioning some sort of grille in front of the horn would keep the dust off of it and save a lot of headaches for the cleaning staff.

OrthoFan