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If the stamped steel turntable is original, was this used in the later Talk-O-Phones? Or was this made simultaneity with the cast iron turntables?
Harvey Kravitz

phonogfp wrote:My Globe also has a stamped turntable. Very heavy gauge metal, with 4 concentric rings. Exactly 10" diameter. I believe it to be original to the machine.

George P.

When I was helping Johnny Boehm clear out the stuff at the Kundtz building there were a few of those stamped steel turntables with the concentric rings, but there were also a great many bits of later phonograph junk, and Boehm assumed that they went with the GI motors that were used in the Maytona machines that Kundtz assembled in the 'Teens and 'Twenties. I do know that Bob Adams bought quite a number of the Twlk-O-Phone cabinets and along with some original and other odd parts and assembled thirty or forty "Talk-O-Phone" machines in the early 1970's. Bob's motto was "Cave-it Empty-tar" (we would know it as "Caveat Emptor"). Over the years Adams assembled hundreds of put-together machines and rand them through local auction barns and antique shops. He used to sell two or three macines rough the Seville OH auction every week, some of which were very plausible, others not so much...

Mine came to me incomplete; missing both arms, sound box, and horn. It was unrestored and pretty rough. It's certain that no one dolled it up for a sale. No one but a collector would have bought it. Beyond that, all I can say is that the turntable fits perfectly. All that said, I don't consider myself an authority on Talk-O-Phone, so if you're positive that my turntable is not original, I would bow to your expertise.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:Mine came to me incomplete; missing both arms, sound box, and horn. It was unrestored and pretty rough. It's certain that no one dolled it up for a sale. No one but a collector would have bought it. Beyond that, all I can say is that the turntable fits perfectly. All that said, I don't consider myself an authority on Talk-O-Phone, so if you're positive that my turntable is not original, I would bow to your expertise.

George P.

No. I have seen Heinemann turntables, the units sometimes found on the better portables with the two spring motors, used on Talk-O-Phone machines. In 1973 Johnny Boehm ASSUMED that the ringed sheet metal turntables that were found with Un-completed Talk-O-Phone material were Heinemann. Bob Adams did use some of these turntables on his assembled machines.
Let us apply Occam's Razor here. My ASSUMPTION was that the sheet metal turn tables were later units that were modified. A number of old-time collectors believed the same thing. Talk-O-Phone is not well documented, and so much of their history is apocryphal at best. Now, these same stamped sheet metal turntables turn up both in stocks of left-over lets Talk-O-Phone parts, but they are also found on quite apparently original in-restored machines found in different parts of the country that never saw the basement of that little house in West 54th street.

HMMM... Have I been mistaken for all of these years, or has the shade of old Bob Adams been flitting around the country chainging turntables around?

I believe that I must be mistaken, as was old Mr. Boehm all those years ago. Too many machines have been noted with the sheet metal turntables for it to be a fluke.

And I searched far and wide for a cast iron turntable for my rear-mount Eagle machine! I probably replaced the original unit with an incorrect earlier part!

If these were indeed original they would date no later than mid-1906, making them the earliest use of a sheet metal turntable by several years. I don't believe that even the Excelsior and Lindstrom folks were using sheet metal until at least 1910.

It would make sense, for Cleveland, where the mechanisms and cabinet were made was a hot bed of advanced metal forming technology, what wit Parrish-Bingham (makers of pressed steel automobile frames) Van Dorn products (high-speed sheet metal forming) Bardons & Oliver, makers of seep drawing machinery which allowed complicated shapes to be made without the aid of metal spinning. All of these firms had some affiliation with Rollin White and Fred Dorn, pioneers in the ball bearing and automotive inspdustires, and and managers at Rollin's dad's place of business; White Sewing Machine, which was the sub-contractor that made the motors for Talk-O-Phone.

Maybe we should conduct a survey. I would glad contribute of photo of the top and bottom of my turntable - - whatever it is!

George P.

Does the stamped turntable have O.T.M.C. on the underside? That would be pretty convincing evidence.

Bill

Mine has no markings.

George P.

I checked the bottom of the turntable and no markings.

Several years ago, I was at the CAPS show in CA. There was a late Talk-O-Phone Clarke with the parrot decal. This, too, had the stamped steel turntable. I hope this helps.
Harvey Kravitz

This phonograph sure has gotten some good analysis. I have had several PMs about it and learned a bit myself. That being said, it is still for sale.