The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Valecnik wrote:I notice you also are linking to the ROMFI site. What would be different about your initiative from that one? Seems you have concentrated on cylinder machines and have come up with a listing of all known models?

How many pictures would you post of each machine and how large would they be? On the few I've checked, you've posted just one small picture of each machine, even without horns. Would not several larger pictures of each machine showing details if possible, be better. Easy to say, I know. Perhaps not so easy to do.

We have a few ambitions for the website. One important thing we would like to do is interest more people for the phonograph hobby, hence the various simpler storylines about phonographs / Edison etc.
Secondly summarize the different makes of cylinder phonographs, of which you see there are more makes than you thought.
Thirdly, try and complete the listing of all manufacturers and their various models. I doubt that our list of manufacturers is already close to complete.

To answer your questions in addition to the above.
Pics without horns: if the machine does have a unique horn then it we may post the machine with horn. Otherwise, with the horns being fairly similar (spun alu) - we thought to concentrate on the mechanics, and put in a link to Romfi so that the meat can be put on the bones - so to say. So we will put 1 pic per model on noedison.com and enlargable ones at Romfi, and other people can also add pics etc

Romfi: Brilliant underused system, - there anyone can post more detailed pictures, update text, and for me most important, a person can indicate if they own that particular model and enter it as an add on to the reference model so that there is kind of a census of surviving machines.

So for example I could thus one day find another owner of a Gallier on Romfi and so find the dimensions of the wood extention arm!

I have been in contact with some of the volunteerrs who run Romfi. Romfi is not a system for such basic research, it is for the inputting of more definitive data, eg Edison Home Models A, B, C etc. Thus with Noedison we can do the research and when we know the exact models that a company made, can then we will put that data into Romfi so that others can add to it.

Just an aside, on another collecting line. I heard the other day that there is a collector club dedicated to 1 model of typewriter. And every year they all (maybe 100) meet somewher in the world and bring their machines along. Somewhat like having an international Edison Idelia meeting! Interesting idea.