The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Now here's one I've never seen before!

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/atq/3704241683.html

That is the "Regent" - Columbia made a series of furniture cabinets, here is an ad with three. They must have been successful as the Regent model turns up once in a while.

They produced some neat stuff. I have the buffet table (the one in the middle of the ad). It was built so the front and back are identical, thereby allowing the the player portion to be switched from one end to the other by merely reversing sides.

That's the well known Columbia, "Divorcenola". Just bring it home, put it anywhere in the living room and the divorce papers most surely will come in the mail shortly thereafter!

Don't be fooled into thinking that you could use the Regent as the center of your phono kingdom and use as an actual desk. You'd have to be about 4' nothing to get your knees under the desk. "Divorcenola" is a perfect description. Honey, it's too big to get in the basement. Where would you like it? Jerry

Jerry B. wrote:Don't be fooled into thinking that you could use the Regent as the center of your phono kingdom and use as an actual desk. You'd have to be about 4' nothing to get your knees under the desk. "Divorcenola" is a perfect description. Honey, it's too big to get in the basement. Where would you like it? Jerry

put it in the bedroom and use it as a bed... it'll only fit one person but thats all you need as soon as it enters the house!!

I have the small one in the lineup - the "Princess". Here it is as I found it, I've since replaced the louvers.

Back when my bride and I had been married for a year or two, we stumbled upon one of these "Regents" in oak. I think that was the first one of those I had seen in the flesh. It was in an antique shop and the price was $100. Naturally I was tempted, but there was nowhere in our apartment to put it. That probably wouldn't have stopped me, but the bride nixed it. Probably just as well...

A friend once had one of these for sale - - for years. One must find a buyer with lots of room!

George P.

Valecnik wrote:That's the well known Columbia, "Divorcenola". Just bring it home, put it anywhere in the living room and the divorce papers most surely will come in the mail shortly thereafter!

HA! I'd support the wife in her divorce suit.
The proportions of the Regent are all wrong. I've seen a couple of them and each time I shake my head in disbelief. The Regent Junior looks the best in real life. The Baby Regent again has odd spindly proportions. But the fact that I've seen every model up here shows that they did in fact sell!
Jim

They did a rather nice empire center table