The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello all! I am very pleased to announce that I just purchased THE most beautiful 1890 retail building on Main Street in downtown Madison, Indiana. Madison is an old flatboat and (later) steamboat town located on the Ohio River just about mid-way between Cincinnati and Louisville. At one time, Madison was the largest city in Indiana and did a thriving trade by manufacturing, packing, and shipping goods -- primarily pork -- up and down the river. Jenny Lind sang there on her American tour in the only building there at the time large enough to hold the crowd -- a pork packing house! When railroads were built in the 1840's, Madison -- which sits on a narrow shelf of land along the river -- was almost inaccessible due to the four miles of rugged hills that separated the town from the flatter lands to the north. Irish workers removed one-million tons of rock to build what to this day is the steepest adhesion-wheel railroad grade in the world, but the single track was not enough, and as Louisville, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis became connected by rail, Madison was largely bypassed and sank into economic slumber. This slumber was actually a good thing because little in Madison has changed in the last 150 years. All the box stores and corporate crap is located four miles north "on the hill" out of sight and out of mind. Main Street, lined with beautiful old homes and and an intact commercial district is one mile long. The entire 140+ blocks of the old part of town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building I purchased has a retail storefront that is completely lined -- walls and ceiling -- with the original embossed tin. I will operate an old-time photo parlor there and display my collection as a free phonograph museum as well. I am currently traveling in Florida and will be here until mid-April, but plan to have the doors open by May 1, 2009. I will be living in the townhouse upstairs. So . . . please be sure to stop in if you are ever in Madison. There are no interstates within 25 miles of the town, but there is a gambling casino close by. A local developer just announced that he has purchased the Mississippi Queen paddle wheel steamboat and will dock her at Madison's riverfront as a floating hotel within the next year. Lots to see and do in Madison, especially if you love history and architecture! More pictures and info at http://www.madisoncamerunning.com. Hope to see all of you there someday! Kindest regards, John M

JohnM wrote:Lots to see and do in Madison, especially if you love history and architecture!

John,

I think you’re talking to the right audience for that sort of thing—I imagine it must be hard to collect phonographs if you hate history.

...and we’re glad to have you back on the second iteration of The Talking Machine Forum.

— MordEth

Thank you, David! It is an honor to be here! John M

gramophoneshane wrote:Congratulations John. What a wonderful idea, and I wish you every success.
Maybe once you've settled in, you could post a few random pictures for those of us around the world that will probably never make it there, and to entice those who might
Best of luck!

Thanks so much. It is killing me to be 'stuck' here in Florida and not head right back there (even though it was 22 degrees when I left and 76 here in Florida) and get started on it! I have four months of fairs and festivals booked here in Florida -- nearly every week and/or weekend -- to haul my old-time photo trailer to and set it up. I simply won't get back there under any circumstances until April. And yes, I will be happy to post photos. I'm sure the business will have its own website with a virtual tour (right David?)

John M

John,

Best of luck! This sounds really exciting. I look forward to the pictures of the building. A phonograph museum is an excellent idea.

Rocky

Nice view of the town. It's not too far from where Ken & I live so we'll drop by & visit sometime. Good luck, it sounds like an interesting idea!
3victrolas