Edison Amberola 30 grille cloth

[NEFaurora]

Edison Amberola Dataplate evolution...

As Edison produced machines over the years, His dataplates evolved as well. Off the top of my head for Amberolas specifically, There were four different kinds. Diamond Disc Machines had a similar evolution that ran concurrently.. But Disc Machines did have some plate differences with Patent dates and some different designs towards 1927-1929 and the advent of Edison Radio Manufacture.


Pic #1 Very Early Edison Amberola Dataplate. (1913-to Mid 1915) approx.

Pic #2 (Late 1915 to Late 1917) approx.

Pic #3 (Mid 1918 to Mid 1919) approx. (White Painted Lettering)

Pic #4 (Mid 1919 to 1929) approx. (Black Painted Lettering)


Please feel free to comment if you think there are any discrepancies, Years, etc...

[fran604g]

Very interesting. I wonder if the transition from the "black japanned" type plate to the "gold" finished plates coincided with the same paradigm shift that the Diamond Disc data plates did? I would bet they did, right around early 1919.

Also, it's my belief, after carefully examining many of the early "gold" type plates, that the lettering actually started out as black. These early plates have some kind of a protective finish on them (shellac or varnish?), and the black "ink" (or paint) did not seem to adhere to this protective coating, and has in nearly all the cases I've seen, come off -- through either cleaning or flaking off -- to expose what I believe to have been the white primer beneath the black lettering.

The "#4" plate you show was finished with a different base coating that apparently corrected the problem.

Fran

[NEFaurora]

Fran, I would agree. I would think the same. As in any factory, The old stuff is used up and phased out first as the newer stuff is phased in. One would logically think that by 1919, All dataplates for any phonographs whether Amberola or Disc would start carrying the same type Gold brass/copper dataplate blanks. I think that the only deviant in this would maybe be machines such as the Ediphone during this time period...but it would be interesting to study those as well.


"Also, it's my belief, after carefully examining many of the early "gold" type plates, that the lettering actually started out as black. These early plates have some kind of a protective finish on them (shellac or varnish?), and the black "ink" (or paint) did not seem to adhere to this protective coating, and has in nearly all the cases I've seen, come off -- through either cleaning or flaking off -- to expose what I believe to have been the white primer beneath the black lettering."


White primer underneath? I don't know if I buy that one.. I've seen some perfect White Lettered plates that were dead mint..and they did'nt look like black had flaked off to reveal white. That may be a stretch..

I'd have to more closely examine some white lettered dataplates to drawn a better conclusion. Interesting theory though...

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[phyi9530]

Edison Amberola Dataplate evolution...

As Edison produced machines over the years, His dataplates evolved as well. Off the top of my head for Amberolas specifically, There were four different kinds. Diamond Disc Machines had a similar evolution that ran concurrently.. But Disc Machines did have some plate differences with Patent dates and some different designs towards 1927-1929 and the advent of Edison Radio Manufacture.


Pic #1 Very Early Edison Amberola Dataplate. (1913-to Mid 1915) approx.

Pic #2 (Late 1915 to Late 1917) approx.

Pic #3 (Mid 1918 to Mid 1919) approx. (White Painted Lettering)

Pic #4 (Mid 1919 to 1929) approx. (Black Painted Lettering)

Hi NEFaurora, do you mind to repost the photos for reference as it says the photos no longer exist due perhaps to lapse of time. Thank you.

I'm new to Edison machine and looking at an Amberola 50 with this data plate. Wondering if this is a later machine in the 1920s? Is it correct that it only plays Amberola blue and green records?

Would you be able to also share what would be a fair value to buy an Amberola 50 these recent days?

Many thanks!

[NEFaurora]

I have looked at the two pics that you provided of your Amberola 50 machine. You appear to have An Edison Amberola 50 "2nd Model" (Late 1915 to Late 1917) approx. It has the Mahogany Finish. If its running and functional (Reproducer is working correctly).....and based on its current condition....It should fetch around $450-$500....thereabouts... Maybe $525 on an extremely good day with the right buyer. The Amberola 50 machine... as all Amberola 30-50-75 machines are "4-Minute Cylinder, Celluloid Only" Machines. They ARE NOT meant for 4-minute Black Wax cylinders (Damberols) and will destroy them if used. They are meant For use ONLY with Edison 4-Minute Blue Amberol Cylinders, Edison 4-Minute Royal Purple cylinders, OR Albany/Columbia or Sears/Lakeside Indestructible 4 Minute cylinder use ONLY. The are not meant to play with much anything else Except Modern Reproduction Resin 4-Minute Cylinders such as VULCAN Records Cylinders or Edisonia 4- Minute Cylinders. - Tony K., Edison Collector/Restorer, Melbourne, Florida.