The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

gramophone78 wrote:Sorry, my comment about the moving of the dresser may have been misunderstood. It was moved there or over to that spot and used as a stand for the machine and clock, etc..... The mirror is not a part of the equation. It was covered to avoid "flash burn".Maybe it is too hard to see in the pic I posted. Therefore, I will add what the boy can tell us about his family. He is wearing a Yarmulka or kippa on his head. So, the family is Jewish. Since I found this photo in Canada I find the "maple leaf" pattern material they used to cover the chair the boy is standing on a very nice touch.
This now leads us to the month and year .
I will post the month and year tomorrow if no one can figure it out .

Hmmmm, I sense a bit of skulduggery here

I'll go out on a limb and ask "Was it was made in our lifetime?"

It looks like it could be Feb 1908 (which was a leap year)...........

gramophone78 wrote:Sorry, my comment about the moving of the dresser may have been misunderstood. It was moved there or over to that spot and used as a stand for the machine and clock, etc..... The mirror is not a part of the equation. It was covered to avoid "flash burn".Maybe it is too hard to see in the pic I posted. Therefore, I will add what the boy can tell us about his family. He is wearing a Yarmulka or kippa on his head. So, the family is Jewish. Since I found this photo in Canada I find the "maple leaf" pattern material they used to cover the chair the boy is standing on a very nice touch.
This now leads us to the month and year .
I will post the month and year tomorrow if no one can figure it out .

I counted 29 days so the date is February 1908 since the 29th day landed on a Saturday in 1908. I do however want to make a comment about the mirror. It could be covered due to flash burn which I tend to agree with. However, there is the outsie chance that the mirror is covered due to a death in the family. The Jewish faith cover mirrors in their home for a period of a week or so after a family member passes.

Now you see.......that is why I like this group. We are a smart bunch that likes to look at all angles..... . The exact date on that calendar IS indeed "February 1908". It is with regret that the day will never be known.
Regarding "Phonofolks" thought about covering the mirror...... very true indeed. The only reason I did not go there is the setting is more of a happy or joyful occasion. In this case......"look at our new toy!!!". I hope everyone enjoyed this bit of fun and also enjoyed the photo. In truth,I was expecting a ribbing from some....."what are you doing with a cylinder related item???"........ .

Thank you for sharing the historical photo. It gives us a look into the styles of the period and shows the family's enthusiasm about its acquisition and probably considered it to be the top of the line technological acquisition of the time next to electricity. The photo is definitely a nice find.

They covered the mirror because the white sheet made a good background to clearly see the phonograph.

Just to drive it in the ground a little further: I think it's not necessarily "flash burn" as it is "sunlight from a window burn". Flash in those days was a big involved deal, either with powder in a pan or flash paper. In either case kind of a fire hazard and a big hassle. Bulbs weren't commonly used until the early 1930s. The sheet would help reduce the light reflecting from the source back into the lens. There's still quite a bit of flare as it is. Also, one would see the photographer from that angle if the sheet were not there. In any case, it's a great photograph that connects us to that young boy across more than 100 years. One only can wonder what it must have been like for him to hear a machine talk for the first time. Thanks for sharing!

-Martin

edit: Hey, I just noticed that there are 29 boxes. One for each day in leap month? Hmm.

Martin, my hat is off to you. The 29 records was something I left out in hopes that it would get noticed. Years ago when we had discovered (through a friend's scope) the month had 29 days my friend,while trying to read the record #'s on the lids (unable) made the comment that it was also the total of records in the photo.......29!!!!. Was this done on purpose or is it just happenstance??.
There are many reasons the mirror was covered. Bottom line on that issue.....it was for the better regardless . I wish that the man who "staged" this photo would have gone that little extra to have written a little more info on the back of the period paper mounting board the photo was glued onto . I wonder if there is a way to tell the type of camera used based on the photo size??. It is such a strange size at 3.5" by 3.5" square.

Thanks to Google, here's a website listing Kodak's different film sizes:

http://www.nwmangum.com/Kodak/FilmHist.html

It looks like it was #101. In case any of you out there collect old cameras and don't already know about it, here's a link for Film For Classics:

http://www.filmforclassics.com/

Thanks again for an interesting look back!

-Martin

So, when is Junior going to pick-up a hatchet and go "Looking for the band" ?



We've got a lot of sharp=eyed forum members here...

As to the leaf-motif on the fabric drape, I wonder if that's really a maple-leaf? It looks more like a twining-vine, like an ivy... like pattern from the Aesthetic or Arts & Crafts schools ?

As for the sheet over the mirror, I think the primary purpose was to eliminate glare / unwanted reflections from the mirror.

This photo could have been taken with a "plate" camera... I have an 1895 Rochester Optical Premo SR 4x5 camera that I still use on occasion - fortunately it accepts modern "Riteway" or "Fidelity" film holders.


Great Photo, great thread.