Gramophones and cars.

[epigramophone]

I have just returned from one of the largest classic car meets in the UK, driving my Armstrong Siddeley motor car and taking my Alba Model 555 portable gramophone by way of entertainment, with a few well chosen jazz and dance band records.

The interest shown in the gramophone by the public was most encouraging. "Where did you find it?" "Have you restored it?" "How does it work?" "Can you still get needles for it?" and of course "How much is it worth?" are just a few of the questions I was asked.

At one point girls were dancing to it!

Don't ever let anyone tell you that interest in our machines and records is declining. The public are interested, but we need to get out there and show them what yesterday's technology can still do.

[m0xiemama]

I agree. I don't think there us a lack of interest I think there is a lack of awareness. We are in such a disposable society that any small advancement in technologt renders tge thing before it useless. People are so unaware because so many things have come after the phonograph. While people think I am crazy for having as many as I do, they are very curious about them and all respect the beauty of a good machine.

BTW I meant to tell you before that I thought your cars were really gorgeous.

[epigramophone]

Thankyou Moxie.

Although my car was one of the rarest on show (the only example of it's kind out of over 1000 cars which attended) it was the gramophone which really caught people's attention.

[estott]

The lack of awareness can be irritating. When I play a machine in public I always get well intentioned but brainless questions:

Where's the speaker.

Do you have to keep turning the crank the whole time.

Can you crank it while it's running

(always) where do you get needles?

I often get asked where to get one, and it's hard to keep from saying "I won't tell you because if you had one you wouldn't know what to do with it"

OK, I'm cranky.

[Retrograde]

The lack of awareness can be irritating. When I play a machine in public I always get well intentioned but brainless questions:

but these same people could probably rattle off statistics about football/basketball/baseball until the cows come home.

Some hobbies such as car collecting seem to have universal appeal, while gramophone/phonographs collecting is esoteric at best. I'm OK with the latter.

[Jerry B.]

This old Mustang has been in our family since my Dad bought it new in late 1964. I got my license in it the day I turned sixteen in 1968. Dan Melvin and I drove it to an OTAPS meeting in southern Oregon about ten years ago. On the trip we heard about one of the local collectors that was offering a bunch of stuff for sale. We checked things out at a storage unit and ended up loading up all kinds of things in that little car. I remember buying several Zonophone rear mount horns and Dan bought an Amberola 75 and other things. Since that time, I have done a great deal to the car including paint and interior so I'd be reluctant to fill it up with phonos again. Jerry Blais

[phonogfp]

What a great way to spend a Sunday - - A gramophone and antique cars!

I wouldn't know an Armstrong-Siddeley if I was run over by one, but I like the name very much. Unless that's a Morgan in the foreground, I can't identify a single automobile in your photo. I'd better stick to American marques...

Glad you were able to educate and enthuse some of the uninitiated!

George P.

[CarGuyZM10]

This old Mustang has been in our family since my Dad bought it new in late 1964. I got my license in it the day I turned sixteen in 1968. Dan Melvin and I drove it to an OTAPS meeting in southern Oregon about ten years ago. On the trip we heard about one of the local collectors that was offering a bunch of stuff for sale. We checked things out at a storage unit and ended up loading up all kinds of things in that little car. I remember buying several Zonophone rear mount horns and Dan bought an Amberola 75 and other things. Since that time, I have done a great deal to the car including paint and interior so I'd be reluctant to fill it up with phonos again. Jerry Blais

You can do it, you just have to be careful. We used to haul my grandmother's power scooter in our 65 Fastback, with 3 people in the car. Seat on the back seat, the back of the front section went into the trunk and through the trap door, and the rear wheels went next to it. On top of that, we would have a tool bag, cleaning bag, two chair (on top of the trap door), and a cooler. It's amazing what you can get into one of these cars safely, if you are careful.

[CarGuyZM10]

If I ever get a Ford Model A, I would probably bring a portable and play music next to the car. Hopefully one day...

[syncopeter]

Portables were also sold as pick-nick gramophones. They fit easily in even the smallest cars together with a case of records. There are tons of pictures from the 30s of pick-nicks, gramophone playing and an open top sports car in the background.