The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

My take on it, is that the lid lowering mechanism is the work of a very clever machinist, most likely the original owner.

Exceptionally nice machine!!

JerryVan wrote:My take on it, is that the lid lowering mechanism is the work of a very clever machinist, most likely the original owner.

Exceptionally nice machine!!

I actually found out some more about this origins of this machine since the initial posting. A couple years back was telling Paul Baker about it at Union. Didn't need to do that. He knew all about it already. The mechanism was the work of a well known machinist at the time who apparently invented this mechanism and tried to sell it to Edison, apparently without success. Also, according to Paul, the bed plate was originally a baby blue color with gold pen striping.

Somehow the machine found it's way to Bob Johnson in Oregon. Bob has since passed away. I purchased the machine from Bob a few years before he passed.

About 1969, Paul Baker and I were at the late Si Altman’s house outside of Buffalo, New York and saw an oak lyre-grill IA with a blue bed plate as you describe. I don’t recall it being baby blue, I remember it being the color of the blue export horns. I don’t recall the double-lid supports, but that curved crank is triggering my memory a bit (I was only twelve years old then and had only been in the hobby for two years, so certain details may not have gotten my attention at the time). I wonder if this is the same machine? Si was a plumbing contractor and used to find things in peoples’ attics and basements. He and his wife, Vi, were the major collectors/dealers in Buffalo Pottery (they wrote the book), and at the time were probably the largest piano roll dealers in the country. Nice people. Ask Baker if he thinks this may be the same machine.

Sure seems like it must be the same machine John. I should have taken notes when I was talking to him but it was during the crazy time at the Union show. It was so surprising. I must have mentioned about it and he knew immediately what I was talking about...

Maybe it was actually a darker blue, not "baby blue" and you recall correctly. Paul said it was the same color blue as the blue on the decal on the underside of the lid. That's a much darker blue if you click on the picture of the decal and blow it up to full size.

Valecnik wrote:Sure seems like it must be the same machine John. I should have taken notes when I was talking to him but it was during the crazy time at the Union show. It was so surprising. I must have mentioned about it and he knew immediately what I was talking about...

If the same machine or not.....it is very cool... .

Seeing the finish on this 1A is a revelation to me! Why? Because I have an Amberola 1A that has that same dark oak finish, which I think the Edison Co. called "Mission Oak". But the dark finish on my machine is mainly just on the drawers, inside the record storage door, and inside the lid. It also has a dark oak horn and motor board grilles. The outside has a lighter finish. Not all the way to golden oak, but half way. I used to say that I've never seen a 1A in very dark oak until now. Thanks for showing this! It's truly a gorgeous machine. My motor board is metallic in appearance. Yours may be what the original gun metal looked like with the bluing? I've been told that re-bluing the motor board is very difficult, so I have avoided it. Marc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ-qI6MW1_U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY6gcGWXfCw&t=84s

marcapra wrote:Seeing the finish on this 1A is a revelation to me! Why? Because I have an Amberola 1A that has that same dark oak finish, which I think the Edison Co. called "Mission Oak". But the dark finish on my machine is mainly just on the drawers, inside the record storage door, and inside the lid. It also has a dark oak horn and motor board grilles. The outside has a lighter finish. Not all the way to golden oak, but half way. I used to say that I've never seen a 1A in very dark oak until now. Thanks for showing this! It's truly a gorgeous machine. My motor board is metallic in appearance. Yours may be what the original gun metal looked like with the bluing? I've been told that re-bluing the motor board is very difficult, so I have avoided it. Marc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ-qI6MW1_U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY6gcGWXfCw&t=84s

Thanks Marc. I think that dark finish was often found on the 1As. On my website are two more examples with first and second style Rococo grill. Seems that the later 1As and 1Bs are more likely to be found in lighter finish. I'm not sure. The oak ones are hard enough to find in any variant.

Yes, that is the one. Thanks

Hi,
My 1-A has the copper high lights missing on the mandrel which I assume was due to plaster abrasion from use or it was so worn that some one applied gun blue to it. Are there any opinions on this other than mine or conformation of one or the other?
Thank you all for any comments,
Allen

A Ford 1 wrote:Hi,
My 1-A has the copper high lights missing on the mandrel which I assume was due to plaster abrasion from use or it was so worn that some one applied gun blue to it. Are there any opinions on this other than mine or conformation of one or the other?
Thank you all for any comments,
Allen

Some of them had a gun metal mandrel instead of oxidized, such as this one no. 2861. Forum member Zwebie also sold one with the gun metal mandrel a few years back.

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... ola#p73677