The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Steve wrote: Tue Feb 25, 2025 3:02 pm I love the Cockleshell Monarch on its pedestal but the photos are great anyway. Many thanks, Jamie.

The pedestal is interesting as it is a variation I have not seen before that is similar to the Melba pedestal. It may be in oak to match the gramophone, rather than ebonised, but has no carved decoration and plainer mouldings to the main panels and a different pattern above at the drawer level. The brass hardware is also different from the normal Melba pedestal.

jamiegramo wrote: Wed Feb 26, 2025 12:48 pm

Steve wrote: Tue Feb 25, 2025 3:02 pm I love the Cockleshell Monarch on its pedestal but the photos are great anyway. Many thanks, Jamie.

The pedestal is interesting as it is a variation I have not seen before that is similar to the Melba pedestal. It may be in oak to match the gramophone, rather than ebonised, but has no carved decoration and plainer mouldings to the main panels and a different pattern above at the drawer level. The brass hardware is also different from the normal Melba pedestal.

Yes, I noticed that. It is half way between the Art Nouveau Melba style and the standard stock oak pedestal, a real curiosity. I doubt any have survived as we would surely have seen one pictured somewhere by now?

Steve's newly acquired Pathé "Aida" was originally supplied by Rushworth & Dreaper of Liverpool. Founded in 1828, their organs were installed in many famous buildings, but sadly most of their archives were destroyed when they ceased trading in 2002.
At Steve's request, here are some pictures :

Excellent stuff, many thanks, Roger.

RE: Recent HMV 194 purchase

H. Taylor & Son, 29 Bridge St, Walsall - was a historic dealer with a fascinating building with carved facade.
This has to be one of the most interesting and well documented phonograph dealers that I have seen.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkAd_YG9gJs

http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/article ... idgest.htm

https://www.blackcountryhistory.org/col ... ER_MBL1587

Done! Just sealed the deal and bought the premises with a view to restoring it to a gramophone museum with a layout similar to a shop! Then I realised it wasn't big enough!

I recall that I have a red leather deluxe HMV 101 which was sold by H. Taylor & Son, Walsall. I could have returned it.

Congrats on your purchase. Since it's not big enough, you could live there and that would free up more space in your current home for display purposes. Best of both worlds - a museum/loft and a separate gallery.

Curt A wrote: Thu Mar 06, 2025 5:03 pm Congrats on your purchase. Since it's not big enough, you could live there and that would free up more space in your current home for display purposes. Best of both worlds - a museum/loft and a separate gallery.

Stop giving me ideas!

I bet the building will sell for a pretty penny if there is planning permission for flats over 3 floors, although I don't envy the developer dealing with the extensive fire regulations applicable to it if that takes place. It'll cost a fortune to renovate and in the current climate.....

Here are a few more record covers from British gramophone dealers that I found amongst my records.
The Hale’s and the Alfred Hays Ltd covers that appear in the first batch I posted above differ slightly from their iterations in this set of photos;
Hale’s lists more shops on this cover and the machines pictured are newer, electric machines, I think, while this Alfred Hays Ltd. cover does not mention Parlophone or Brunswick, though they appear on the previous one and the Prince of Wales crest differs slightly.
Also, my cat pointed out to me the alliterative nature of this group of covers: Horton’s, Hollingsworth, Hale’s, Hays. clever girl.

Brightside and Carbrook Cooperative Society. Vacated Sheffield city stores a few years ago. Don't know what happened to Stainforth Road. Anybody else got any Cooperative sleeves?