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LOL, I would imagine any company blasting music that could be heard 30 blocks away would quickly find themselves in court

VictrolaGuy - Walt wrote: Oh my, oh my, there was no giant CREDENZA built on the roof of the Victor building. Did you actually read the size of that thing. But to separate fact and fiction: The horns that you reference are actual working theater and auditorium horns.

Then again, the April Fools columns in all sorts of magazines are responsible for tricking more than few folks over the years.

I know I've heard about this from other collectors, and spotted at least one reference in print, over the past 30 years. Perhaps this "fake" news story you posted, was the basis of the legend?

In any event, there are some legitimate references to Giant Orthophonic Victrolas that were on display during the period. I take it, then, these would have been the auditorium models?

VictrolaGuy - Walt wrote:

estott wrote:Sorry Walt, but I don't agree with you on this one.

It's from April Fools column from a magazine. What is there to disagree with? (This reminds me of the scene from Toy Story when Woody was trying to convince Buzz Lightyear that he was a toy . . .)

Disagreement is allowable.

estott wrote:

VictrolaGuy - Walt wrote:

estott wrote:Sorry Walt, but I don't agree with you on this one.

It's from April Fools column from a magazine. What is there to disagree with? (This reminds me of the scene from Toy Story when Woody was trying to convince Buzz Lightyear that he was a toy . . .)

Disagreement is allowable.

The cabinet isn't a true replica of a Credenza, and the story just says it could be heard from 30 blocks away, it doesn't say that it actually was. It was an age of hoopla and advertising stunts. I have to go with estott on this one, but surely it would have been mentioned in the Camden newspaper. Can anyone go to the local library and find a reference to it?

VictrolaGuy - Walt wrote:

gramophoneshane wrote:LOL, I would imagine any company blasting music that could be heard 30 blocks away would quickly find themselves in court

Indeed!

But, hey, Shane, at least your HMV still reigns supreme?

lol, well, only as far as commercially available internal horn machines go, but with a horn 4 times the length of a 202, those hotel models must have really been the ultimate acoustic machines ever built. It's such a shame none survived.

gramophoneshane wrote:lol, well, only as far as commercially available internal horn machines go, but with a horn 4 times the length of a 202, those hotel models must have really been the ultimate acoustic machines ever built. It's such a shame none survived.

Apparently, there were a number manufactured. I can't quite figure this one out though:


FROM: Tacoma Public Library Photo Archive

The last surviving example I heard of--as of about 10 years ago-- was installed at a girl's school. There used to be a web reference, but I can no longer find it.

I'm still trying to find the very short (print) reference I had about the "giant" Orthophonic Victrola sitting on top of the Camden facility. I think it may be buried in "From Tinfoil to Stereo," but I can't find it in the index. (Good luck finding anything in that book!) It may also have been in one of the NAG issues, or some other now-defunct phono-journal.

If it did exist, it probably was much smaller than the one described in the April Fool's article.

All of this kind of reminds me of the "Nipper on a coffin" debate!

In the meantime, here are a few more references to the Auditorium Orthophonic Victrolas I was able to spot:

http://www.ocgi.okstate.edu/shpo/nhrpdfs/06001111.pdf (Scroll down to page 9 to see some detailed descriptions, including the fact that these did, indeed, generate noise complaints.)

http://www.arcade-museum.com/mtr/MTR-19 ... -11-29.pdf (Announcement of first demonstration. It's interesting to note that the article mentions that the Victrola could be played without the use of supplemental electrical amplification!)

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BTW, Walt, you'll be interested to know that some of us weren't the only ones fooled by this, as this short mention from Popular Science Monthly indicates:
FROM: Google Books Search -- Popular Science

...I also admit that this one really puzzles me, and kind of takes me back to square one, if it's legit:

Answers to Questions
Pay-Per-View - Hartford Courant - ProQuest Archiver - Apr 28, 1928
Q. How far can the largest phonograph bo heard? ... Co. factory in Camdon, N. J., Is said to be the largest In the world, and can bo heard 30 blocks away. ...
Related web pages

FROM -- Google News Search
(Too bad I'm too @#$%^%$ cheap to pay to view it!)

Before this thread gets too far off track, let me supply an article from The Voice of the Victor( Victor's magazine for its dealers) about the Sign That Talks. Unless this is THE hoax of the 20th century I tend to think that it really did sit on the factory roof. The mega Credenza was the subject of an article by the excellent Thomas Rhodes ( Mr. Orthophonic) in The New Amberola Graphic for Summer 1997. ( Issue 97) The Voice of the Victor piece was a bad photocopy and reprinted in The Graphic so I hope my scan is readable.

The Auditorium Orthophonic had an example here in Toronto. I must dig in my files and see if I can find the article.

Jim

Lenoirstreetguy wrote:Before this thread gets too far off track, let me supply an article from The Voice of the Victor( Victor's magazine for its dealers) about the Sign That Talks. Unless this is THE hoax of the 20th century I tend to think that it really did sit on the factory roof. The mega Credenza was the subject of an article by the excellent Thomas Rhodes ( Mr. Orthophonic) in The New Amberola Graphic for Summer 1997. ( Issue 97) The Voice of the Victor piece was a bad photocopy and reprinted in The Graphic so I hope my scan is readable.

The Auditorium Orthophonic had an example here in Toronto. I must dig in my files and see if I can find the article.

Jim

Hi Jim:

MANY THANKS!!! Yes that's the one I remember seeing! (I'd suspected I wasn't crazy, but one never really knows about those things...)
OF

Thank you Jim. I would think that you've shown this wasn't a hoax. I guess it must've been plywood over a frame, then painted to look like walnut or mahogany?

It would be interesting to find out when and how it met it's demise. I can't imagine it survived it's days as an advertising stunt.

Well, I was able to verify that Carleton D Haigis a real person, and was employed by the Victor Talking Machine Co.


By 1926 Dr. Haigis was employed as the chief physicist by the Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden. He was living at 108 North 34th Street, Apartment D. He took a job-related trip to Europe in 1929, returning aboard the SS America on April 28, 1929 after departing from Cherbourg, France nine days earlier.

http://www.dvrbs.com/People/CamdenPeopl ... Haigis.htm

Unfortunately, there's no mention of what he did for Victor. I'm wondering if any of this site's members have access to "The Voice of Victor?"

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ADDED -- Patent Search -- Carleton Haigis