The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Subject: Edison Phonograph Belt colors through the years..


I thought this was an appropriate topic since it has not been discussed in a long while.


I know that I have seen Pre-1898 Edisons with White Belts, and Post 1900-1905 Edisons with Black Belts, and Post 1905 Edisons with Brown belts...

Any rhyme or reason to the colors?? Were Black and Brown belts always available at same time?? Or was it Pot Luck as to what color belt you got on your machine after 1900??


I do not pretend to be any kind of expert on Edison belts, but I have a good knowledge of them. Please reply here if you have something to add to this thread about Edison Belt color availability through the years...

**Also, I do not ever remember reading if Frow ever commented on Edison Belt colors in any of his writings. Does anyone know?


Thanks!

Tony K,

Melbourne, FL

Interesting question. I always wondered about that myself.
My 1913 Edison A-80 still has its original brown leather belt with the two rows of stitches.
Andreas

As far as Edison cylinder machine belts, I've never encountered an ORIGINAL belt that was other than black/dark brown, whether it was a Class M or an Amberola 1A. Of course, belts were replaced over the decades with all manner of materials and colors. I'd be obliged to see an original Edison belt for a cylinder machine that was anything other than black/dark brown.

George P.

Hello,
Here is a picture of the original brown leather belt that came with my Edison Spring Motor phonograph. It is the only one that I have come across that actually had the company name embossed into it.
Pete

That's an old belt but not original for a Spring Motor. It's for an Ediphone. Thomas A. Edison, Inc. wasn't incorporated until 1911. It ultimately evolved into a master holding company for all of Edison's ventures.

From the Rutgers University listing of Edison companies:

This company was incorporated on January 27, 1896, as the National Phonograph Company, then reorganized and newly incorporated as Thomas A. Edison, Inc., on February 28, 1911. Over time it consolidated most of Edison's companies, including the Edison Phonograph Works on August 28, 1924, Edison Storage Battery Company on June 30, 1932, and Emark Battery Corporation on December 30, 1933. The company merged with McGraw Electric Company on January 2, 1957, and became known as McGraw-Edison Company. In 1985 McGraw-Edison was absorbed by Cooper Industries.

Thanks for solving the belt mystery! I found it in the wooden drawer of the Spring Motor and had no idea it was from a dictaphone.
Pete

TinfoilPhono wrote:....

This company was incorporated on January 27, 1896, as the National Phonograph Company, then reorganized and newly incorporated as Thomas A. Edison, Inc., on February 28, 1911. Over time it consolidated most of Edison's companies, including the Edison Phonograph Works on August 28, 1924, Edison Storage Battery Company on June 30, 1932, and Emark Battery Corporation on December 30, 1933. The company merged with McGraw Electric Company on January 2, 1957, and became known as McGraw-Edison Company. In 1985 McGraw-Edison was absorbed by Cooper Industries.

Not intending to hijack the thread I haven't really thought about the history of the follow-on companies, but has anyone ever gone exploring any remaining archives of these companies (McGraw Edison and/or Cooper Ind.) to see if there are any archives from the orignal phonographs works or did all that have survived found its way back to the present day site?

Pretty Sure that after Edison died in 1931, Henry Ford had helped the Edison Museum in Orange,NJ be created in 1936/1937 with whatever was left of Edison's original buildings, and whatever was rescued and was or wasn't moved to/from The Henry Ford Museum at Dearborn Village was then moved back to the Edison's Orange, NJ site. Most of Edison's files and paperwork still remain today at the Henry Ford Museum, but I am sure will someday be returned to the Orange, NJ Edison site, Probably very soon believe it or not. The actual 1st Original Edison Labratpry building was disassembled and brought to Dearborn Village and re-assembled for display was recently disassembled again and moved back to Edison's Orange NJ site within the last two years. The Henry Ford Museum still has any remaining Blue Amberol Master Molds that escaped destruction, and there are only a handful of them left. The Edison Museum at Orange, NJ recently within the last few years has done a complete re-inventory and re-cataloging of all of its Phonograph cylinders and Diamond Discs, and in while doing that, found quite a few lost rare previously thought destroyed Brown wax cylinders. A nice find indeed.

I thought that I would re-visit this thread and see if any new info has surfaced in the last three years or if anyone new would like to comment on Original Edison Machine Belt colors.

Has anyone had any new findings or revelations about this subject? In doing a history search on the web, This seems to be the ONLY thread on this subject! I'm still trying to find more info on this. (or as much as I can!)

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer