Photo of a 1912 bicycle/phonograph shop

[spin78's]

Thanks for posting the shorpy site! I've spent hours this evening looking at the old photos. Actually did a search there for "phonograph" and "Victrola" and found several photos worth keeping.
Also have to agree that many of the phonographs in the bike store photo look like used machines.

[JohnM]

Why are you all saying that there are used machines in the photo? I'm not trying to pick a fight, just to understand what about the photo is making you all say that?

[spin78's]

For me, if you look at the first two machines to the left of the photo they look a little nicked up. Either these are loaners or have been sitting in the shop for quite a while. The horns on the Edison machines however look to be new. Something eles to think of is that there are Edison machines and Victor machines in the same shop which is a no-no for both companies.

[JohnM]

All I have for Internet access at the moment is my iPhone and the sharpness of the Shorpy image isn't there for me.

[Flvice]

Great photo...The Photo caption says this photo is circa 1912. Wouldn't the large display of all "Gold Moulded" cylinders (no wax amberols or blue amberols)put this photo a bit earlier?? Like before 1908??

[Not Really a Guest]

The high base molding of the Edison just beyond the Victor Junior places it as a Model D or later, so this photo dates from at least the fall of 1908. I too was wondering about the lack of 4-minute cylinders, but apparently they were on display somewhere out of camera range.

I agree with John that I see nothing suggesting second-hand talking machines. In a shop such as this - - not overly clean, cluttered with bike parts - - nicks and scratches must have been rather commonplace. Both Victor and Edison offered cabinet retouching kits to its dealers, which suggests this was a common occurrence. Also, for a number of years many dealers sold both Victor and Edison merchandise until both companies instituted exclusivity in their contracts. I'm away from home at the moment, so cannot look up when that went into effect.

The name of the Edison image featuring the old couple was imaginatively titled, "The Phonograph."

George P.

[Jerry B.]

I have a ton of fun collecting bikes as well as photos. There will be a bike under our tree this Christmas for my twelve year old grandson. I bought him a 1964 Schwinn Tiger. Several years ago I was able to xerox the sales ledger from the local Schwinn dealer. I research through it and found that this same Tiger was purchased on Christmas eve in 1964 by a local Albany family. I was asked why I didn't buy him a new bike. I replied that it would be easy to buy a new bike but by buying a classic Schwinn, we'll spend time together cleaning and polishing his bike. When we're finished, his bike will look nearly new. Jerry Blais

[Flvice]

I was asked why I didn't buy him a new bike. I replied that it would be easy to buy a new bike but by buying a classic Schwinn, we'll spend time together cleaning and polishing his bike. When we're finished, his bike will look nearly new. Jerry Blais

And those are the things he will always remember... fantastic idea

[Phototone]

Has anybody yet noticed the following:

1. The left row of cycles, are Motorcycles (at least some of them are)

2. There are some very oversized cylindrical display (cylinder boxes?) at the upper top left of the photo.

[phonogfp]

Now that I'm back from Thanksgiving in Brooklyn, I can chime in on this wonderful photo. I attempted to post a reply from my daughter's computer, but evidently the board's security smelled a rat!

I don't see the proof that the talking machines are second-hand. Nicks, dings, and scratches were evidently common in dealerships of the time, as both Edison and Victor offered cabinet retouching outfits for dealers to spruce up their wares. Especially in a shop like this one, where bike parts were lying around, and handlebars or fenders awaited their chance to scrape a wooden cabinet, "shopworn" goods must have been common. Look at the broken glass of the disc storage cabinet at left. No potted palms or Persian rugs in this place.

As for Edison and Victor products being sold side-by-side, this was a common occurrence for many years. It wasn't until September 1908 that Edison's intention to enforce the exclusive dealership provision in its dealer contracts was announced in the Talking Machine World. Victor, probably to save face, followed suit the following month.

Which brings us to dating the photo. I too was wondering about all those 2-minute cylinders with no sign of an Amberol box, but the first Edison on the left features high base molding - - a sure sign of a Model D or later, so this photo cannot be any earlier than late 1908. Evidently the 4-minute cylinders were simply out of camera range - - probably toward the front of the shop where the newer merchandise belonged.

The image with the "old couple" and an Edison Phonograph was imaginatively titled, "The Phonograph."

Great photo!

George P.