New member and New Phono

[phonogal]

Humm, not too sure about that B. P. Co. abbreviation. If I remember Brunswick was then the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, not the "Brunswick Panatrope Co." Panatrope was just the name of their phonograph line wasn't it?

Clay

I think they meant it might stand for the Brunswick Phonograph Company but I've not seen Brunwick use that on anything before. On the material I have, it is The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. as you stated.

[carylee]

Humm, not too sure about that B. P. Co. abbreviation. If I remember Brunswick was then the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, not the "Brunswick Panatrope Co." Panatrope was just the name of their phonograph line wasn't it?

Clay

I think they meant it might stand for the Brunswick Phonograph Company but I've not seen Brunwick use that on anything before. On the material I have, it is The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. as you stated.

My wife works for Sears in a management position, and even today they have vendor codes for outfits that make things with Sears brand names on them. "B.P. Co." (which is rather cryptic) may not not have ever been used by Brunswick itself, it might have just been the Sears internal name for Brunswick (Granted, we're still assuming it's Brunswick, since so many parts have been identified as Brunswick-like), so that someone in a Sears store could order parts or accessories without it being so obvious to a customer that it was basically a Brunswick product wrapped in a Silvertone package. And indeed, there may have been parts on that machine that could not be ordered from a Brunswick dealer, since Sears could incorporate whatever design features it wanted into a product and have a vendor make it for them, which could explain why some parts of that machine have cues that seem to come from other makers. I took a look at the Sears archives website, and all it said about phonographs was that the Silvertone name was introduced on wind-up record players in 1915. Then it immediately went on to talk about musical instruments and radios. So not much help there.

[De Soto Frank]

Very nice machine ! ...even the round sped control is reminiscent of the pre-1912 Victor machines...

Actually Victor used that round speed control well after 1912; there's one on my XI-G (1917).

That is indeed a nice-looking machine. Do you know what kind of horn it has? Doesn't look like there is room for a very big orthophonic-type folded horn in there. I'd like to hear how it sounds!

Henry,

Interesting about your XI-G having the round dial-type speed control... what metal is the hardware finished in ? Cabinet finish ? "Fat arm" or earlier "small" Taper-tube ?


I have an XI in oak, but cannot remember the serial, date, or suffix (if any). It is between '17 - '20, "Fat" arm in nickle, Victor #2, "large window" needle-type speed control, and semi-automatic brake. Will get the particulars when I get home.



Frank

[FloridaClay]

From The Victor Data Book, it looks like "needle type" regulator kicked in with the VV-XI type H in mid 1917.

Clay

[De Soto Frank]

From The Victor Data Book, it looks like "needle type" regulator kicked in with the VV-XI type H in mid 1917.

Clay

Clay & Henry,


Got a chance to crawl under my XI... License Label is dated Dec 15, 1918. S/n 545xxx.




Frank

[Henry]

Very nice machine ! ...even the round sped control is reminiscent of the pre-1912 Victor machines...

Actually Victor used that round speed control well after 1912; there's one on my XI-G (1917).

That is indeed a nice-looking machine. Do you know what kind of horn it has? Doesn't look like there is room for a very big orthophonic-type folded horn in there. I'd like to hear how it sounds!

Henry,

Interesting about your XI-G having the round dial-type speed control... what metal is the hardware finished in ? Cabinet finish ? "Fat arm" or earlier "small" Taper-tube ?


I have an XI in oak, but cannot remember the serial, date, or suffix (if any). It is between '17 - '20, "Fat" arm in nickle, Victor #2, "large window" needle-type speed control, and semi-automatic brake. Will get the particulars when I get home.



Frank

HI Frank. My XI-G, serial 370333G (1917), is mahogany with nickel-plated brightwork, small taper tube w/Exhibition. The G was the last series before the cabinet and hardware styles changed (upper front corner medallions eliminated, four-slat horn opening replaced by three-slat, small to fat taper tube, Exhib. to No. 2 sound box, etc.). The license label, affixed to the rear panel of my machine, is dated June 1, 1917.