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To me those horn doors appear to have a band around them, similar to the L doors, except not as wide. That would make more sense than a bevel. I think there is an optical illusion effect which misleads us into seeing bevels.

Also, the cabinet has been stripped and sanded. Therefore, the color and contrast are quite subdued. If the surface were wiped with a wet cloth (water would do temporarily), the color and contrast would show better than they do with a raw sanded surface. With that in mind, my opinion is even stronger that it is Circassian Walnut.

One more point. The photo showing the back side of the L door still has the original edge trim strip that was typical of the more expensive Victrola's of that period. This strip is about 3/16" thick and as wide as the door itself. It gives the appearance of a bead edge around two or more sides of the doors. The front side of the same door has the wider trim piece which now covers the original bead edge. It seems likely that since the original bead edge is still on the door, that at one time the door was modified to hide the bead edge, and change the appearance altogether. It also appears that the edges are clean and straight, so whomever did the modification, was skilled and had sophisticated tooling.

The pictures below are the front and back of one of the doors on an American Walnut Victrola XVI, showing the bead.

Additional images to help figure this mystery machine out. Thank you for all of your help.

More images.

More Images

Victor VII wrote:Circassian. Circassian. Circassian.

Ditto, ditto, ditto. No question about it! With the possible exception of the lid.

The trim around the door edges seems "home made." I wonder why anybody would do that. But of course whoever did may have found the case in really bad condition that resulted in that and a lid replacement. It is a shame though. It would have been a knockout when made.

FloridaClay wrote:

Victor VII wrote:Circassian. Circassian. Circassian.

Ditto, ditto, ditto. No question about it! With the possible exception of the lid.

The trim around the door edges seems "home made." I wonder why anybody would do that. But of course whoever did may have found the case in really bad condition that resulted in that and a lid replacement. It is a shame though. It would have been a knockout when made.

This is a bit of a Frankenstein machine ( using great parts ). So I'm gathering the lid is American and the body Circassian with added American trim.
The horn is missing, the spring barrel is missing from the motor, the record platter is missing along with some door knobs

I've had some great encouragement from Jerry B to tackle this restoration which will take me well out of my comfort zone and my total lack of knowledge of applying finish. I know how to clean dirty finishes and have done a few of those. This is a whole new game.

This L Door was within a hairs breath of becoming a ...god I hate these words..."Shabby Chic"...before I purchased it. Before seeing it in person and knowing that most of the original finish was gone, I considered doing a gold leaf project. That all came to a screeching halt when I saw it in person and when I slid out the record shelf. Things only went up from there.

I have learned a lot from everyone so far and hope to continue to drain needed knowledge from our eclectic family of collectors.

All the best of luck. It would be terrific if it could be restored to what it once was. Hope you'll post pictures as things progress.

Clay

So I'm gathering the lid is American and the body Circassian with added American trim.

Always remember that the dramatic and expensive pieces of Circassian veneer were used in the most visible areas. Other woods, including walnut were used in other areas so you would have a mixture from the factory. The framed trim around the doors is not Circassian but the dramatic color contrasts and swirls make a machine like this so appealing.

Jerry Blais

It appears that the legs are made from the same species of wood that the door banding is made from. Also, the horizontal surface of the lid, as well as its edge moldings, appear to be of that species as well. Wow...

What is left of the motor.