The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

My best finds of 2014 were of course new phono phriends - yadda, yadda, yadda...

but my second best find was a very simple record pictured below and the story behind it.




I never thought I could combine my passion for antique music machines and music with my family
history and love for a very special person in my life, my grandfather.

My grandfather played a very instrumental part in raising me and shaping me into the man I am today.
I was lucky enough to have him in my life until his 97th year, he passed almost a year ago on my daughters
3rd birthday. He served for the Italian military in WWII and was part of the bersagliere (the 'G' is silent)
brigade. The bersagliere were sharpshooters and elite fighters, only the tallest, strongest, and fittest
were selected to be part of this light infantry division. They are easily recognized by the fancy hat they
wore with flowing, shiny black feathers and by their rapid marching style which saw them cover a mile in
around 9 minutes. If you'd met him, you'd never have guessed he was in the military. He seldom spoke of
his experiences in the war and when I would try to coerce him he would say "I've lived for over 90 years
and you want me to remember the worst few years of them all".

A few years ago I was lucky enough to find an original bersagliere hat on ebay.it, and recently I found a
beautiful bersagliere bugle from 1935. This record is the song that the bersagliere played as they marched
in their double step.

Here's a picture of the hat and horn.



and these are pictures of my Nonno

with his bersag horn



and in his full dress uniform (on the right)





This is a video I made of the record being played.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSORMQYRO_E


and this is a video of the bersagliere playing and marching


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNHOLMRoMK4


Not sure why I can't embed the videos... (Brandon!)

phonogfp wrote:As far as I know, it's the only known Biophone sound box.

Actually, and very surprisingly, a Biophone reproducer sold on eBay a few years ago. Totally out of the blue. I was astounded to see it. I am sorry that I can't remember what it sold for. But it could only have been useful for a reproducer collection. To the best of my knowledge there are still no other known complete units.

Still, the story of the completion of the existing Biophone is amazing, incredible, and wonderfully serendipitous.

TinfoilPhono wrote:

phonogfp wrote:As far as I know, it's the only known Biophone sound box.

Actually, and very surprisingly, a Biophone reproducer sold on eBay a few years ago. Totally out of the blue. I was astounded to see it. I am sorry that I can't remember what it sold for. But it could only have been useful for a reproducer collection. To the best of my knowledge there are still no other known complete units.

Still, the story of the completion of the existing Biophone is amazing, incredible, and wonderfully serendipitous.

No question the Biophone reproducer being at the show at the same time as the only known unit was....is a moment to remember. Right place at the right time. If I remember correctly...the price tag started to go up like the Dow.... .

In keeping with that.....I guess it's time to add my best find of 2014 since I started this thread. After all, it is now New Years eve day.... .

As Jerry Blais stated....I too have had one of my best years in collecting. With the discovery of several undocumented, early Berliner disc's. A never seen Victor horn. Another undocumented hot-air Gramophone, etc.....

It was hard to come up with that "one" item.

However, as I wrote....in keeping with serendipity..... I would have to say the Johnson Type A was too good to be true.
Just the fact I was on line at the right moment and actually froze for a whole minute before realizing this was no hallucination and hit the $99 "Buy It Now" button.

Then, the shear panic....."did I get it" coming over me......indescribable. It felt like a Twilight Zone moment.

The horn was crushed, but I had a spare horn. However, I had planned to sell this horn a few months earlier to raise money for another purchase. I had not got around to it.......luck again.

This was a case of right time and place or to some, pure luck. There is no other way to describe it.

The cherry on top......when the machine arrived and the dirt came off....she just gleamed.

Everything had to be in alignment for this to have happened. There is no other explanation... .

Mr Grumpy said:
"but my second best find was a very simple record pictured below and the story behind it."

I would say "best", since any time you can tie genealogy into historic items is a wonderful thing, at least to me...

By the way, you didn't make your avatar with this record, I hope...

My best find this year was a pile of sixteen(!) hard rubber 5" Berliner (Kämmer & Reinhardt) discs. All in great condition with backplate, all first pressings of 1890, most of them unplayed, many are undocumented, ten are recorded with Emile Berliner's voice. Wrapped in an old newspaper, and therefore protected from sunlight, the discs survived near Hanover in a large wooden soap box, which a doll collector located in the attic of her great aunt (a wonderful story in itself), together with Kämmer & Reinhardt dolls, also of 1890.

I always thought I could never afford one. So I was simply overwhelmed when the doll collector handed me over the first, but almost fainted when she presented up the others ... No doubt, this is the largest find ever of such discs. Sadly, the K&R gramophone wasn't found. Only the turntable felt came with the discs.

Photos will be shown in a future article for The Antique Phonograph in my serial about "E. Berliner's Grammophon."

Starkton wrote:My best find this year was a pile of sixteen(!) hard rubber 5" Berliner (Kämmer & Reinhardt) discs. All in great condition with backplate, all first pressings of 1890, most of them unplayed, many are undocumented, ten are recorded with Emile Berliner's voice. Wrapped in an old newspaper, and therefore protected from sunlight, the discs survived near Hanover in a large wooden soap box, which a doll collector located in the attic of her great aunt (a wonderful story in itself), together with Kämmer & Reinhardt dolls, also of 1890.

I always thought I could never afford one. So I was simply overwhelmed when the doll collector handed me over the first, but almost fainted when she presented up the others ... No doubt, this is the largest find ever of such discs. Sadly, the K&R gramophone wasn't found. Only the turntable felt came with the discs.

Photos will be shown in a future article for The Antique Phonograph in my serial about "E. Berliner's Grammophon."

Holy Toledo!!

George P.

phonogfp wrote:

Starkton wrote:My best find this year was a pile of sixteen(!) hard rubber 5" Berliner (Kämmer & Reinhardt) discs. All in great condition with backplate, all first pressings of 1890, most of them unplayed, many are undocumented, ten are recorded with Emile Berliner's voice. Wrapped in an old newspaper, and therefore protected from sunlight, the discs survived near Hanover in a large wooden soap box, which a doll collector located in the attic of her great aunt (a wonderful story in itself), together with Kämmer & Reinhardt dolls, also of 1890.

I always thought I could never afford one. So I was simply overwhelmed when the doll collector handed me over the first, but almost fainted when she presented up the others ... No doubt, this is the largest find ever of such discs. Sadly, the K&R gramophone wasn't found. Only the turntable felt came with the discs.

Photos will be shown in a future article for The Antique Phonograph in my serial about "E. Berliner's Grammophon."

Holy Toledo!!

George P.

Holy Toledo is right. How about posting at least a group pic on the thread.... .

Starkton wrote:My best find this year was a pile of sixteen(!) hard rubber 5" Berliner (Kämmer & Reinhardt) discs. All in great condition with backplate, all first pressings of 1890, most of them unplayed, many are undocumented, ten are recorded with Emile Berliner's voice. Wrapped in an old newspaper, and therefore protected from sunlight, the discs survived near Hanover in a large wooden soap box, which a doll collector located in the attic of her great aunt (a wonderful story in itself), together with Kämmer & Reinhardt dolls, also of 1890.

I always thought I could never afford one. So I was simply overwhelmed when the doll collector handed me over the first, but almost fainted when she presented up the others ... No doubt, this is the largest find ever of such discs. Sadly, the K&R gramophone wasn't found. Only the turntable felt came with the discs.

Photos will be shown in a future article for The Antique Phonograph in my serial about "E. Berliner's Grammophon."

Oh my goodness!!
I'm 13 and I only own one Berliner disc that was given to me it's not a 5" just a 7" from 1899.

Hi and Happy New Year!
I was finally able to acquire a machine I have always wanted - this Victor C. It came with the instruction card, Monarch needle box and original Concert reproducer box where the serial number on the sound box is written in pencil on the bottom of the box. I have had a metal top Johnson C for years but could never seem to locate the Victor version until 2014. The Victor Talking Machine sign on the wall was also a 2014 acquisition but its the machine thats #1 for me in 2014. Cheers to all for a happy healthy 2015! John

I've been lucky this year with some machines, great parts and good paper. However, my best find was the Amberola 50 mechanism in the Amberola V case. Jerry B. listed posted it on the Forum and sold it to me for an excellent price. The S/N is 44. It plays smooth and quiet. Thanks Jerry for a wonderful machine at a great price. I wonder what will be in store for all of us in 2015?? Happy New Year to everybody.
Harvey Kravitz