The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Phonotom wrote:Hi, I bought this on a trip to Denver a while back. It looked to me to be a 7" record carrying case? When I got it , it was gutted. I had Tim Fizer redo the interior. What are your thoughts? 7" records fit perfectly in it. Please give me your thoughts

Hi, this is a great-looking record case. Certainly the right period. Looking at the pre Tim Fizer interior I would assume it was a scientific instrument box probably for a microscope. That said you wouldn't know from the interior as it is now although most record cases and cabinets I have seen, old and much later, tend to hold an even number of records. Yours holds 27? If so this will be due to the thickness of the partitions or limited interior width.

Zwebie wrote:Same subject, different case.

It was being sold as "Antique Wooden Box dovetail Berliners gramophone Record Filing Box Late 1800’s"

The question is, is it real?

Bob S.

For the record, those are finger joints — cut on a gang saw — not more expensive dovetail joints.

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:

phonogfp wrote:Bob,

I'll add my voice to Wayne and Mark in confirming that the box you show is authentic. I have examples just like it - including oak and poplar versions with Victor decals on the lids.

George P.

I'd be interested in seeing the Victor decals if that's possible. Is it like the one from the horns?

No, this decal was not widely used by Victor. Here it is on a poplar and an oak record box (click twice on this image to enlarge):
This decal was also used on the fronts of a few of the earliest Victor I machines:
George P.

jamiegramo wrote: Looking at the pre Tim Fizer interior I would assume it was a scientific instrument box probably for a microscope.

I was thinking the same thing.

Bob, here's another example of the record box that recently sold on eBay. This one is also for 7" discs, and would greatly benefit from either lemon oil, or a new shellac finish! The finish on these poplar cases don't seem to hold up as well as those on the oak cases. (Click on the image twice to enlarge it.)

George P.

The first use of the his master voice logo in the world was on the backside of Canadian Berliner Gramophone records in about 1900. The Victor Talking Machine Company took up the logo in 1902. I believe the Gramophone Company used it from 1909.

Therefore if you see the logo on 7" record boxes, I would be highly suspicious and they are often fakes.

Kinda weird how frequently they turn up that way though. I have one just like it, too. It has the decal, which is applied sort of off-kilter. I always just figured some prior owner had tried to decorate it at some point.

Mine has the same index cards as well.

Governor Flyball wrote:The first use of the his master voice logo in the world was on the backside of Canadian Berliner Gramophone records in about 1900. The Victor Talking Machine Company took up the logo in 1902. I believe the Gramophone Company used it from 1909.

Therefore if you see the logo on 7" record boxes, I would be highly suspicious and they are often fakes.

I don't quite follow your logic, as Victor catalogued these boxes for several years and sold 7" discs until 1906.

1901. Record boxes at this point would not have had the lid decal: 1902. Record boxes at this time may have had the decal, and this would correlate to the time of the early Victor I shown above: 1904. I don't know if the record boxes in 1904 would have had the decal: In any event, these decals are not the Gramophone Company type seen on fake gramophones.

I should also clarify that the 7" box I pictured has no decal. The two boxes shown with decals in an earlier post are for 10" discs.

George P.

jamiegramo wrote:

Phonotom wrote:Hi, I bought this on a trip to Denver a while back. It looked to me to be a 7" record carrying case? When I got it , it was gutted. I had Tim Fizer redo the interior. What are your thoughts? 7" records fit perfectly in it. Please give me your thoughts

Hi, this is a great-looking record case. Certainly the right period. Looking at the pre Tim Fizer interior I would assume it was a scientific instrument box probably for a microscope. That said you wouldn't know from the interior as it is now although most record cases and cabinets I have seen, old and much later, tend to hold an even number of records. Yours holds 27? If so this will be due to the thickness of the partitions or limited interior width.

These 2 points are well taken by me. I wonder if finding a box like this would be easier, or more difficult than finding an original made for record storage? Certainly the original record boxes would be more valuable/expensive, I would think? Or maybe not...

Best,
Fran

These wood record boxes seem to appear more often than the pasteboard type.

very nice,i like it!