The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I've had this picture for years, and finally found it again.
The photo is marked "Mr Phillips, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Ohio. 1900."
It appears to be a Columbia HG (first style) Graphophone, introduced in 1899.
I'm struck by the fact that the man's clothes and house are not those of a wealthy person, and yet the machine and all the cylinders on the porch floor behind him would have retailed at over a hundred dollars. Perhaps he was a salesman?
The picture was struck from the original negative back in 1990, when I ordered it from a local Lancaster photo archive. Enjoy!
Bob

I've had a copy of that same photo (but much poorer resolution) for many years too. I've always wondered if it could possibly have been the same machine/horn/stand/records I bought at a house sale in 1983. Same machine and horn; and the record boxes were all missing their lids - just like in the photo (I think). Normally I wouldn't entertain such a long shot, but the house where I bought it looked remarkably like the one in the photo. So in the back of my mind, I always wondered...

Unfortunately, the house where I bought the outfit was in Hamburg, New York! Too bad - it would have made a great story...

Beautiful photo, Bob - - thanks for posting it!

George P.

Interesting how be is cordoned off . . . he must have been expecting a rather large crowd

JohnM wrote:Interesting how be is cordoned off . . . he must have been expecting a rather large crowd

The piece of string around the place is strange. Must have been a message to all comers to keep their mitts off his expensive HG.

Perhaps that clever Mr Edison had installed an electric fence.......

That is one whopper of a phonograph horn George. What size is it?

Clay

Well, mine's 56" but I can't swear to the one in the old photo. It looks the same to me!

George P.

When you look at the at photo and the way the machine is placed and the man is seated he looks to me more like an operator/CJ, probably for a local festival/gathering/birthday party/etc. I would certainly not sit beside the machine and having the horn directed away from my position if I was going to play some records for myself. The string could have been used to keep playing children away from the machine and records to avoid potential damage to the costly equipment. A really nice photo, thank you for sharing it in this great resolution!

The guardian looks rather dismissive, perhaps he acts as a "watchdog" for the sleek, jovial exhibitor, currently in the lunch break.

I'd hate to be the 7 - 12 year old who ducked under the rope for a closer look. He probably would have been greeted with a belt!

Also, interesting is all the cylinders, lidless behind the rocker appear to be Edison...