The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

George,
Thanks for correcting me about Washington DC was a corporate office. I have a Washington DC Model A, but my reproducer is the aluminum one you see on an Eagle Graphophone. When did these reproducers come out? Thanks for posting the article. I forgot about it.
Harvey Kravitz

The aluminum reproducer was first described by Thomas Macdonald in his U.S. patent No.624,059, which was filed on June 5, 1897. Advertisements suggest July 1897 as the first appearance of the aluminum reproducers. That's as close as I can nail it down.

In any event, an aluminum reproducer on a Washington Type A is perfectly legitimate, since an original owner could obtain one and thereby improve the performance of his machine. This would be analogous to seeing a Model B Edison Home equipped with a Diamond B reproducer (and 2/4 minute attachment of course!). An aluminum reproducer on a Washington A would have been a sensible upgrade (unless you're a collector!).

George P.