The Gramophone Company in Antarctica

[poodling around]

In over 60 years collecting I have yet to find a copy of this commemorative record :

Oooooh ! I have this record. ............... the bad news though is that I haven't got a clue where it is amongst my other uncatalogued 1,000's of 78's

[OrthoFan]

........................I can't myself confirm that the gramophone is a DGAG, Monarch II, since I don't know this exact machine. .................

It certainly looks like one:

FROM -- https://grammophon-platten.de/e107_plug ... .php?45722

[poodling around]

In over 60 years collecting I have yet to find a copy of this commemorative record :

Miracles do happen - I found the record !

[epigramophone]

Stanley Kirkby also recorded it on Blue Amberol, which is probably even harder to find :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_KHEvzYFYw

[Marco Gilardetti]

I can't myself confirm that the gramophone is a DGAG, Monarch II, since I don't know this exact machine. It is very hard to see any horn, since the gramophone is surrounded by Norwegian flags.

I do, but while the upper part of the machine looks indeed like a Monarch II, the bottom doesn't (Monarch IIs have a decorative wooden carved band all around the base). In my opinion, not only the horn but the entire tonearm and bracket were removed for taking this picture, which really puzzles me. While it sounds obvious to me that DGAG/HMV were a (more or less hidden) sponsor of the expedition, what's the purpose of having in the picture the cabinet of a gramophone, deprived of its most distinctive vital parts? At the time, it should have been obvious to everyone that the machine would be inoperable that way.

[OrthoFan]

I can't myself confirm that the gramophone is a DGAG, Monarch II, since I don't know this exact machine. It is very hard to see any horn, since the gramophone is surrounded by Norwegian flags.

I do, but while the upper part of the machine looks indeed like a Monarch II, the bottom doesn't (Monarch IIs have a decorative wooden carved band all around the base). In my opinion, not only the horn but the entire tonearm and bracket were removed for taking this picture, which really puzzles me. While it sounds obvious to me that DGAG/HMV were a (more or less hidden) sponsor of the expedition, what's the purpose of having in the picture the cabinet of a gramophone, deprived of its most distinctive vital parts? At the time, it should have been obvious to everyone that the machine would be inoperable that way.

I don't think the bottom of the case is missing. I was able to find some information about a follow on model to the one with the carved base.

https://grammophon-platten.de/e107_plug ... .php?44000

The base is relatively plain --

Clicking on the image Nostalgia posted to enlarge it, and then enlarging it further, I spotted the tapered side of the base on the left bottom side of the gramophone--

Screenshot 2024-01-04 095531.jpg (12.68 KiB) Viewed 936 times

But, as you noted, it looks like the gramophone's horn and tonearm (possibly the back bracket) were removed for some reason.

I was able to find a couple of other references to this model, and it appears that it dates from 1911, so it coincides with the date of the expedition. (Probably stopped at their local "gramofon" shop prior to boarding the ship?

OrthoFan

[JerryVan]

I believe the back bracket and tone arm were still attached, just hidden behind the flag. I think they're peeking out here...

phono.png (103.26 KiB) Viewed 908 times

[Marco Gilardetti]

That's pretty much confusing: I have a 1911-12 catalogue, in which the Monarch II was no longer available. However, I agree that the gramophone pictured in the German forum seems to be the exact same model of the one in the Antartic picture.

@Jerry: I also spotted those details, but should it be the tonearm indeed, it's the empty end of the "T" tubing we're looking at, which means again that the machine was deprived of the gooseneck and soundbox, that is the most relevant parts soundwise. Not that this would change the world a bit, but I don't get the sense of having in the picture a gramophone obviously unable to play anything.

[JerryVan]

That's pretty much confusing: I have a 1911-12 catalogue, in which the Monarch II was no longer available. However, I agree that the gramophone pictured in the German forum seems to be the exact same model of the one in the Antartic picture.

@Jerry: I also spotted those details, but should it be the tonearm indeed, it's the empty end of the "T" tubing we're looking at, which means again that the machine was deprived of the gooseneck and soundbox, that is the most relevant parts soundwise. Not that this would change the world a bit, but I don't get the sense of having in the picture a gramophone obviously unable to play anything.

Marco,

All good points. As to the sense of showing an incomplete phonograph, I'm guessing that the point of the photograph was not to feature the gramophone. I know, hard for us phono nerds to imagine!

As you say, not world changing either way.