The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I just brought home my first Edison Opera.
I found the machine locally through a colleague at the high School where I am a mathematics teacher and coach.
As you can see, the case and bedplate have received a very amateurish "restoration", along with a painted gold "Edison" signature on the front.
Unfortunately, the wood horn is MIA.
The good news; The motor is very quiet and all mechanics work smoothly.
The "A" reproducer plays well.
When I took pictures this afternoon, I found a silver plaque inside of the case that reads;
"This phonograph came from the Kearny Castle in Kearny, New Jersey and was the property of General Philip Kearny of Civil War Era. It was given to me Thomas Rowe Sr. in 1923 by a care taker and given to my son Thomas Rowe Jr. in 1970.
Thomas Rowe Sr."

Congratulations! Great find! The paint on the mechanism looks nice. A refinish on the case is easy. I'd buy a high quality reproduction unfinished mahogany horn and do the case and horn bell at the same time. Of course use a Gregg Cline decal. A reproduction elbow that's mahogany wood grained and you've got a nice Opera. Jerry Blais

I think I'd continue the line of provenance and include your purchase information on the metal tag if there's space or perhaps another tag. Jerry

Jerry,
Thanks for the kind words of advice.
Finding the personalized plate inside was really cool!
Gene

Great find! I agree with Jerry that you continue the line of provenance.

Gen. Philip Kearny was killed during the Civil War at Chantilly/Ox Hill on September 1, 1862. It may have come from what had been his house, but it never belonged to the general.

Hi Gene,

Great find right here in NJ. Can't believe you found this machine just 15 minutes from my home. I'm going to have to start looking harder.

Rich Gordon

JohnM wrote:Gen. Philip Kearny was killed during the Civil War at Chantilly on September 1, 1862. It may have come from what had been his house, but it never belonged to the general.

I second that - when I read that it was an immediate WTF??? The Kearny mansion stood until 1927.

Thanks JohnM and estott. I thought it was odd that the general would have lived long enough to buy the phonograph himself, but did not get a chance to research him until this morning.
General Kearny had previously lost an arm in battle and was nicknamed "The One-armed Devil."
He came from a very wealthy family and was himself a millionaire at a young age upon his father's death, so it very well could be that someone in his family purchased the machine after his death, or perhaps the machine was given to the family sometime before 1923.
Anyway, I did find the plaque to be an interesting artifact.
Can anyone out there let me know what an Opera sold for new?
What would that be in today's dollars?
Were there different versions or models of the Opera?
Different finishes?
Happy collecting!
Gene

Gene

That is one fine machine. Obviously, well cared for. Between you and Jerry out in Oregon, I now know where all the hard to find machines in the wild are.

Congrats.

John