The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Congratulations with this great find, Jerry ! What a beautiful machine
After seeing a few of these Cockleshell Monarchs here on the forum, I like them better the more I see them with their rounded corners etc.
I must start visualizing such a machine coming into my sphere of existence

I used to own a Cockleshell Monarch with the same colour horn and my example was also painted over with exactly the same lighter shade of green!

Steve wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 7:58 am I used to own a Cockleshell Monarch with the same colour horn and my example was also painted over with exactly the same lighter shade of green!

Wow! Maybe this was more of a "thing" than just my example?

As a possibly interesting aside, the seller did some checking into the dealer tag on the front of the machine. He noted that the proprietor of the shop ended up perishing on the Titanic. Could be true.... or could be a story. I haven't fact checked it. The tag reads: "Henry Price Hodges, Music Warehouses, Southampton".

I must say, I'm pleased with the interest my new find has met with. Thanks to all for your comments!

Henry, was indeed a Titanic victim:
https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/t ... odges.html

Curt A wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 1:02 pm Henry, was indeed a Titanic victim:
https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/t ... odges.html
Screen Shot 2021-03-06 at 12.59.49 PM.png

Curt,

Oh my gosh, that letter is chilling, knowing what we know happened shortly afterwards. You're quite the sleuth!

I think those historical details are fascinating... those details add to the historical record of your machine. The sleuthing comes from 20+ years of genealogy research.

I guess I'm fixated on Henry P. Hodges and found some additional info:

This is a deep rabbit hole... sorry for hijacking your thread.

Curt A wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 1:02 pm Henry, was indeed a Titanic victim:
https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/t ... odges.html
Screen Shot 2021-03-06 at 12.59.49 PM.png

Curt,
Thanks for posting all that! I found it sad but fascinating. It somehow brings home the people who once sold or owned these machines. They become real. Mr Hodges probably handled the Cockleshell Monarch and may even have demonstrated it to the customer. Noisy boys on deck were to become the least of his problems.

Second class wasn’t so bad. I once saw a copy of the second class menu they brought up from the sea. I could have (and would have) eaten everything on it.

I wonder if more Cockleshell Monarchs sold in seaside towns like Southampton? Perhaps more than inland...

Put it in a Titanic Auction would probably make $20,000