The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

One of my favorites is Parlophon...

I'm assuming that cylinder labels also count in this discussion.

This is my favorite, with its incredibly lovely Art Nouveau decorations. It is absolutely a reflection of its era.

Rene,
I've never seen a Le Cahit cylinder, but now I want one - very interesting...

Curt

drh wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 12:27 pm I've never seen one in the flesh, but from photos these are the most spectacular of the 78 era. Too bad the things are never playable.

I have one and it's definitely unique. Made out of cement with a beautiful graphic on one side. The reason they don't play is that the recording side was a wax overlay which is almost always missing or partially flaked off. Mine is totally missing, but even if intact, attempting to play it would probably remove any remnants. Still my favorite record.

Excellent question! I've always found Vocalion to be an appealing label design, but I also enjoy some of the more strikingly simplistic labels, such as American Regal. Then there's the bold, yellow OKeh electrics that I also find pretty cool, and who doesn't love the British Edison Bell Radio label design (either one, both the old and the new look neat). Somewhere in my shelves, I have a few supposedly uncommon record labels that are very artful, maybe I'll dig them out later tonight and put them where y'all can see em...

Curt A wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 9:11 pm One of my favorites is Parlophon...


Parlophon_Record(GCSA)v.jpg

I'll see your Parlophon and raise you a few.
Click on the photos to straighten them.

Le Cahit box has a clear drawing of what seems a diaphragm with a spider and the stylus on the centre. Looking for that I found an old APS forum post about one of these reproducers, pity the images have been lost
https://forum.antiquephono.org/topic/10 ... eproducer/

An attractive box containing a rare cylinder, sadly unplayable because of the dreaded mould growth. Recorded in July 1906, this is one of a number of Irish Republican songs which McCormack never re-recorded on cylinder or disc.

And doing a treatment as waxing the record or wd40 or something alike doesn't improve the sound or make it playable?

Inigo wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2025 7:47 am And doing a treatment as waxing the record or wd40 or something alike doesn't improve the sound or make it playable?

The soft protective lining material used in wax cylinder boxes encourages the growth of mould spores.
The mould eats into the wax, so even if it can be cleaned off, the damage is done and cannot be repaired.
That is why, apart from unplayable rarities like this, I only collect celluloid cylinders.