the Edison Class M "escapee"

[Starkton]

This is an exciting thread about an exciting phonograph! Thank you very much for integrating us in your researches. I am very much delighted about the large number of photos you took before and after the removal of the coating. Much interesting details have already been discussed here, and your ongoing research in the Edison papers about your machine will surely bear fruit some day. Your Class M will keep us busy.

Celebrity Class M Phonographs
I have closely examined two Class M phonographs which were presented by Edison to German celebrities in 1890. Both were regular production models, each the latest type of machine, one with a mahagony case, the other with an oak case. The one presented to Hermann von Helmholtz had a brazen name plate with an engraved dedication from Edison, the second, presented to Matilda Rathenau had a small metal frame attached, holding an autograph by Edison. A book under my coauthorship about these and a good number of other phonographs will hopefully be published early next year. I keep you posted.

Military Phonograph
For some time I had intended to write about the military phonograph, but other duties kept me from this project. In short, the idea for a portable phonograph came from George Edward Gouraud, Edison's representative in Great Britain. On November 3, 1888 Gouraud wrote to Edison:
PORTABLE PHONOGRAPH FOR EXPRESS SERVICES – CIVIL & MILITARY. - I confirm my letter of 6th October with reference to the mounted phonogram express service which I am inaugurating in this country, and I now beg to inform you that I have begun a systematic course of applications for concessions generally throughout the entire territory under my direction, and am hoping to, at least in some cases, succeed, and am anxious to include, if possible, the exclusive right of Phonograph Talking Stations in the Depots and Passenger Stations of the Railway Companies. I would therefore here again urge upon you the extreme advisability of giving your earliest attention to the devising of some special portable machine for this messenger or phonogram express service, which machine would be equally adapted to military purposes, and for which I can assure you of an enormous demand; in fact I am in a position to say that if such a portable instrument can be devised, I am prepared to give you an order for 10,000.
Please give your early attention to this matter as it interests me greatly, and your advice will be highly appreciated.

Edison quickly responded, underestimating the task: Say I am making a ⅛ size phono complete will send photograph in week or two.

Six months later, the military phonographs(!!), scheduled for the Paris exposition still waited for completion, which is apparent in a letter from Edison to the Edison Phonograph Works on May 6, 1889: Mr. Hammer writes, requesting us to hurry up the Military Phonographs and forward them to Paris as soon as possible.

The term "military phonograph“ last showed up in my files for October 1889. William Joseph Hammer, Edison's representative in Paris wrote to Jonathan Lewis Young: You had better postpone your book till you get some photos and matter I am having made for you and if you can run over to Paris I can give you some valuable data. I have just had interesting photos made of Edisons original phonograph, his perfected tin foil machine and his new treadle latest type. … talking doll, military phonograph and arrangement of all. There is a picture of the talking doll listening to the phonograph &c.

PS: I checked it again, Edison indeed wrote "⅛ size".

[Amberola 1-A]

Purely conjecture here but could the extra cutouts be for spares of each due to the fragility of the glass diaphragms, especially where this was originally designed as a business machine?
What a truly amazing find and further investigation is most definitely warranted!

Bill

[phonogfp]

On November 3, 1888 Gouraud wrote to Edison:
PORTABLE PHONOGRAPH FOR EXPRESS SERVICES – CIVIL & MILITARY. - I confirm my letter of 6th October with reference to the mounted phonogram express service which I am inaugurating in this country, and I now beg to inform you that I have begun a systematic course of applications for concessions generally throughout the entire territory under my direction, and am hoping to, at least in some cases, succeed, and am anxious to include, if possible, the exclusive right of Phonograph Talking Stations in the Depots and Passenger Stations of the Railway Companies. I would therefore here again urge upon you the extreme advisability of giving your earliest attention to the devising of some special portable machine for this messenger or phonogram express service, which machine would be equally adapted to military purposes, and for which I can assure you of an enormous demand; in fact I am in a position to say that if such a portable instrument can be devised, I am prepared to give you an order for 10,000.
Please give your early attention to this matter as it interests me greatly, and your advice will be highly appreciated.

Well, isn't that interesting! A "mounted phonogram express service?" Fascinating - - leave it to George Gouraud... Nice research, Starkton - this must have been buried pretty deep, but George Frow apparently stumbled across it at some point. Thanks very much for sharing this!

...But I'd still like to drop the use of the term "Macdonald!"

George P.

[TinfoilPhono]

A great and revealing find, Starkton! I still question how such a tiny diaphragm could possibly work in a real life situation.

[coyote]

Absolutely fascinating. Thanks so much, everyone, for your input on the Paris Exhibition phonograph (whatever it should be called). Many (including myself) have been intrigued by it since first seeing it in Frow's book, and to have such a wealth of information collected here is truly amazing.

[Starkton]

Yes - a couple of Water-Motor Phonographs were sent to Europe, and I believe the serial numbers are mentioned in Discovering Antique Phonographs, but of the Class Ms such as the one sent to Josef Hoffman, I don't think I ever saw any specifics. With no numbers on this new example, it would be impossible to confirm.

The child pianist Josef Homann also received a "Water-Motor Phonograph of the latest type."

Instrument number 5725, including directions, two dozen of musical cylinders, and 50 blanks left the Edison Phonograph Works for shipment to Berlin on February 20, 1890.


Added on on Thu Mar 17, 2011 7:50 pm:

George, I can't decide the first number.

[phonogfp]

Let that be a lesson to me not to trust my memory! Hoffmann was indeed sent a Water-Motor Phonograph. But according to a letter written by Edison to Hoffmann on February 21, 1890, the machine's number was 3725. This is the number we cited in Discovering Antique Phonographson page 29.

On February 19, 1890, Edison sent a Water-Motor Phonograph to Czar Alexander III (this one No.5004), along with "Two dozen musical records and 50 blank phonograms."

I'll be looking forward to your book, Starkton!

George P.

[edisonphonoworks]

The drawer with multiple speaker holders, just re-inforces, studio Phonograph, where you have recorders at the ready with diaphragms from five to eight thousandths for taking different recordings.

[phonogfp]

The letter below was supplied to me in 1999 by Jerry Fabris of the Edison National Historic Park (then "Site"). The serial number of Hoffmann's Phonograph is clearer than the copy posted by Starkton, so for the record, here it is...

No doubt that Water-Motor Phonograph is sitting in a German antique shop right now!

George P.

[Starkton]

I thought about this remarkable Class M phonograph for a while and came to the following conclusion:

It belongs to the selected group of "Special Ornamental Phonographs for Home Amusement" which were sold outright between September 1893 and August 1894 by the North American Phonograph Company (NAPCo.). Each time a client ordered one of these machines, the NAPCo. placed a special order at the Edison Phonograph Works (EPW). Of course the EPW were equipped to fulfill special wishes (walnut case, nickel-plating) which involved additional costs. For example, full nickel-plating justified a mark-up of $25.

The "Edison Phonograph Outfit for Home Amusement" comprised a standard speaker, a recorder, and in addition an automatic speaker. Very likely, a small round box with spares and accessories (membranes, screws, fittings) sat safely in the fourth cutout of the drawer.

A machine like this must have left trails in the order books of the EPW, and also of the NAPCo. during the period in question. I am quite confident that you will find it there. Please keep us posted.