Unusual Reproducer

[rodpickett]

The Edison Standard Speaker, designed to record and playback, was used on early Class M phonographs. Sensitivity in the adjustment process made it difficult to use and many cylinders were ruined as owners accidently recorded on a good cylinder.

The Standard Speaker was eventually replaced.

The Frow Cylinder Phonograph Companion has a description of the Standard Speaker.

Following the Standard Speaker detail, two images appear for a Standard Speaker for the Model C Edison-Bell Commercial Phonograph with the text “In British Patent No. 20,330 of 1896 J. H. Greenhill patented a recorder/reproducer for Edison Bell. This turned bodily 180 degrees in the carrier-arm for whichever function was needed. No example has been seen”.

You will see five photos using the following link:

https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/4204650 ... o?h=e36186


Photos one and two are what I believe to be a Class C, Greenhill recorder/reproducer. I bought it in 1997 when eBay was in its infancy and put it in my reproducer pile. I didn’t give it much thought until I decided to find my other Standard Speaker and noticed the differences.

Photos three and four are of a normal Standard Speaker.

Photo five shows the two reproducers side-by-side.


Comments / opinions welcome.