The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I fit in all categories. I am a collector, restorer, culturalist, preservationist, and somewhat a seller. My problem is I buy more than I sell My favorite parts of the hobby. is research, restoration, and playing the machines. Good topic.
Harvey Kravitz

I am Spartacus.....

Come to think of it,I'm more of a Culturalist.The recordings and phonographs give me insight into the era in which they were made.For example,Ernest's Hare's record of "I Ain't Afraid Of Nuthin'Dat's Alive"mentions boxing legend Jack Dempsey in the lyrics.And Beatrice Lillie's "Nichodemus"(from the 1926 musical "Oh,Please")mentions nightclub hostess Texas Guinan in the lyrics.Those are examples.edisonplayer

Phonofreak wrote:I fit in all categories. I am a collector, restorer, culturalist, preservationist, and somewhat a seller. My problem is I buy more than I sell My favorite parts of the hobby. is research, restoration, and playing the machines. Good topic.
Harvey Kravitz

I'm also now learning from the responses is that it is sufficient for people to be in one category alone--but it's also completely possible to be in several.

People like you are especially valuable on this forum as you help to knit the sub-groups together.

edisonplayer wrote:Come to think of it,I'm more of a Culturalist.The recordings and phonographs give me insight into the era in which they were made.For example,Ernest's Hare's record of "I Ain't Afraid Of Nuthin'Dat's Alive"mentions boxing legend Jack Dempsey in the lyrics.And Beatrice Lillie's "Nichodemus"(from the 1926 musical "Oh,Please")mentions nightclub hostess Texas Guinan in the lyrics.Those are examples.edisonplayer

Yes yes yes! Being a professional historian (I am currently teaching a class at the Illinois Institute of Technology on the Prohibition/Jazz Era) it is so much fun to catch the cultural/political references on the records.

Last night's mail included my Diamond Disc copy of the Georgia Melodians playing "Teapot Dome Blues." In a few days I'll be receiving a biography of Florence Harding. I'm content to live back in 1920-33, it seems. It's a time when my parents and all my grandparents were living. Though they don't feature in the records, I still have this comforting knowledge that when any particular record was cut, a grandfather was probably working in the quarry; a grandmother was cooking; and my parents were out at play or sitting in school.

Oh, one of the many great things about teaching is introducing today's young adults to the culture of the 1920s. Last night I had them watch a biography of Clara Bow (the one narrated by Courtney Love) and of course by the end several had clearly in love with Clara. Mission accomplished!

pughphonos wrote:

edisonplayer wrote:Come to think of it,I'm more of a Culturalist.The recordings and phonographs give me insight into the era in which they were made.For example,Ernest's Hare's record of "I Ain't Afraid Of Nuthin'Dat's Alive"mentions boxing legend Jack Dempsey in the lyrics.And Beatrice Lillie's "Nichodemus"(from the 1926 musical "Oh,Please")mentions nightclub hostess Texas Guinan in the lyrics.Those are examples.edisonplayer

Yes yes yes! Being a professional historian (I am currently teaching a class at the Illinois Institute of Technology on the Prohibition/Jazz Era) it is so much fun to catch the cultural/political references on the records.

Last night's mail included my Diamond Disc copy of the Georgia Melodians playing "Teapot Dome Blues." In a few days I'll be receiving a biography of Florence Harding. I'm content to live back in 1920-33, it seems. It's a time when my parents and all my grandparents were living. Though they don't feature in the records, I still have this comforting knowledge that when any particular record was cut, a grandfather was probably working in the quarry; a grandmother was cooking; and my parents were out at play or sitting in school.

Oh, one of the many great things about teaching is introducing today's young adults to the culture of the 1920s. Last night I had them watch a biography of Clara Bow (the one narrated by Courtney Love) and of course by the end several had clearly in love with Clara. Mission accomplished!

You should read Nan Britton's autobiography. The President's Daughter if I recall. Harding was a glad-handing playboy. His crowd of cronies made the Savings And Loan crowd look like pikers.
Florence Harding. The "Dutchess". There was a cold, calculating witch.

Panatropia wrote:

pughphonos wrote: Yes yes yes! Being a professional historian (I am currently teaching a class at the Illinois Institute of Technology on the Prohibition/Jazz Era) it is so much fun to catch the cultural/political references on the records.

Last night's mail included my Diamond Disc copy of the Georgia Melodians playing "Teapot Dome Blues." In a few days I'll be receiving a biography of Florence Harding. I'm content to live back in 1920-33, it seems. It's a time when my parents and all my grandparents were living. Though they don't feature in the records, I still have this comforting knowledge that when any particular record was cut, a grandfather was probably working in the quarry; a grandmother was cooking; and my parents were out at play or sitting in school.

Oh, one of the many great things about teaching is introducing today's young adults to the culture of the 1920s. Last night I had them watch a biography of Clara Bow (the one narrated by Courtney Love) and of course by the end several had clearly in love with Clara. Mission accomplished!

You should read Nan Britton's autobiography. The President's Daughter if I recall. Harding was a glad-handing playboy. His crowd of cronies made the Savings And Loan crowd look like pikers.
Florence Harding. The "Dutchess". There was a cold, calculating witch.

I'm enough of a feminist (guys can be too) to think that Florence was ultimately all right; if she was shrewish she had good reasons to be. When it came to corruption both she and Warren were babes in the woods. The country responded to something very genuine when electing them in 1920 and in many ways they reflected the best values of the country (even if they were not sufficiently power-hungry to avoid being taken in by the worst).

pughphonos wrote:
Last night's mail included my Diamond Disc copy of the Georgia Melodians playing "Teapot Dome Blues."

One of my favorite Edison Discs. A copy is always sitting on a C-250, ready to demonstrate for visitors.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:

pughphonos wrote:
Last night's mail included my Diamond Disc copy of the Georgia Melodians playing "Teapot Dome Blues."

One of my favorite Edison Discs. A copy is always sitting on a C-250, ready to demonstrate for visitors.

George P.

It is a good performance! It is upbeat but not overdone; there are some marvelous quieter sections with creative arrangements that show that even in 1924 they knew they didn't have to be blasting into the recording horn every second.

Now when it comes to the Diamond Discs from 1919, however--that harsh, squawky jazz--yikes!

I could have sworn I already replied to this, but looking through the thread, my post is missing, so I'll try again.

I am an unmitigated culturalist. I fancy myself to be sort of the historically-accurate depiction of an early audiophile; as long as there is precedent and documentation, I am pretty much willing to make any modification or change in setup to my machines in order to get them to sound their absolute best. That's what is most important to me, is hearing the history as well as it can be played (and playing it on a modern turntable doesn't count - you aren't hearing the history at that point, at least not all of it.) But that's why I don't go for the really early machines at all, because they eat the records and sound like crap.

Second most important is appearance; I have been unable to hear an appreciable difference between my VV 8-12 and a Credenza (probably just my poor hearing), but the 8-12 is so much more attractive that a Credenza isn't even on my radar. I generally go for a balance between the best sound, and what matches my personal taste in decor.

On one hand, I'm also a collector, but on the other, I don't think like one. What I mean is this: I have many machines, but I did not actively seek out most of them, in fact of the 13 I have at the moment, only 5 were intentionally acquired (each one with a purpose - acoustic 78s, electric 78s, Edison discs, and cylinders, plus one portable for outings and events). As I see it, the only reason I would have more than one machine for a given format is because I know that as long as they are under my care, they won't be turned into mini bars. The history is too important to let that happen.

Finally, I do have a fair bit of restorer in me, both aesthetic and mechanical. I have to; I grew up around, and was raised by, engineers. Engineers fix and build things. There's no point in having a phonograph that doesn't play, so that's priority number one, but after that, as aforementioned, appearance is important to me, as well. It causes me no distress to see a machine with a weathered and faded finish be given a coat of stain and shellac. And why should it? It's preventative maintenance that will help to protect the cabinet for posterity, whilst in the meantime enhancing is decorative value.