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I wonder what those two small openings are on either side of the bottom two horizontal albums ?

rvwenger wrote:I wonder what those two small openings are on either side of the bottom two horizontal albums ?

Accessory drawers. Remember, this was a custom made machine.

I do hope it's still around and well-cared for. From the surviving photos I've seen, it's a very elegant machine--not ostentatious at all. Caruso, and/or his wife Dorothy, had excellent taste!

Viva-voce wrote:

HisMastersVoice wrote:I’ve heard stories varying from it being destroyed to still being in the Caruso family. Or maybe it’s in my house...

Hahaha Brandon
Well in that case, you may also have a tantalizing cache of test pressings of unpublished Caruso recordings he probably kept in there!

Steven

Little known fact: Caruso couldn't stand his test pressings and discarded them immediately. Instead, he amassed a huge collection of the complete Uncle Josh.

Viva-voce wrote:I do hope it's still around and well-cared for. From the surviving photos I've seen, it's a very elegant machine--not ostentatious at all. Caruso, and/or his wife Dorothy, had excellent taste!

Caruso did not purchase the machine. It was a wedding present from the Victor company.

Yes--thanks-I forgot that I had read that somewhere

Steven

Here is a gramophone which Caruso did buy, for his stepmother Maria Castaldi with whom he enjoyed a close and loving relationship.
The pedestal is very impressive, but perhaps a few more lire should have been spent on a stepladder .

An absolutely sweet and beautiful photo!