The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Thanks Frank. If the salesman really meant February 19, 1910 on your invoice, that must be among the very first "Victrola" lid decals. Interesting - -

George P.

George,

I've been wondering how close I can get to a manufacturing / finally assembly date going by the date on the license label:

"August 1, 1909"...


The best I've been able to determine from "Look for the Dog" and Paul Edie's site is that my machine was made "sometime between 1909 & 1911"...


I'm also curious as to the significance of the "C" stamped over "B" on the serial plate... 19362 C/B...

The usual sources suggest that "B" suffix machines deleted the carving under the lid, and "C" suffix machines had the "tab" brake. My machine has the external "bullet-brake" and no carving under the lid.

My L door Victrola S/N 14XXX has a shipping date on the label of Feb 1, 1908. The motor board is raised like on the VTLA machines. It has a cast iron turn table and the round escutcheon. It has a Victrola decal, not Victor Victrola inside the lid. The lock uses the wreath key. The needle chuck has a round hole, but with hex nuts. The real early reproducers have knurled nuts and a round hole. Does anyone know when the knurled nuts were changed to hex nuts?
Harvey Kravitz