The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

A friend, who knows I dapple with windup phonographs, asked me to look at her "antique" phonograph with hopes of selling it. Although I've seen dozens of "crapophones" made in India, I have never seen one quite like this. It has me puzzled because there are no marking indicating the maker anywhere. It appears to be European and comes with many records in French. The Exhibition reproducer in the picture is one I put on it for photo purposes, but it did come with one that I am rebuilding that says "Exhibition - The Gramophone Co. Limited London - Berlin - Paris". The motor is highly polished and there is a glassed area for viewing the motor in motion. There is a mirror on the bottom of this area. Can anyone please help me identify the maker of this attractive machine? Thanks, Roy

This looks much too elaborate and well-made to be a "crapophone." It will be interesting to see if anybody has any info on it.

Clay

Something doesn't look right to me with the back bracket - why is it leaning so? It would be interesting to see a picture of the back.

However, nice machine, interesting with the glass front panel.

Attached is a picture of the back. RB

It looks like a Parlophone arm/back-bracket and should have a "Parlophone" soundbox on it. The horn is definitely European origin. The motor is anyone's guess but could also be Parlophone. It looks to be huge and nickel plated - another indicator of Parlophone. The cabinet whilst probably German does not look quite right to me. Why have the decoration on the back? Is it a piece of furniture that someone has transposed some German parts into? It could be a Frankenphone! Then again it could just be genuine as well. parlophone offered many different varieties of machines. The glass panel could also be right!

Not quite a crappophone, but I would venture rather a frankenphone. You have an assortment of some genuine parts, thrown togethter into a random cabinet. The parts appear to be of a better quality than what is normally used on a crappo, but as far as I would be very surprised if this is anything but someone's home project. There are relatively few "cabinet" external horn machines, which are immediately recognizable. A few after market types of a very high quality (which this does not compare...forgot who made specialty cabinets out of Victor machines). This just doesn't reach those levels...but again, the back brack, tone arm and a few other random parts are of better quality than found on your run of the mill crapper.

It's partly a Parlophone not entirely a Crapophone. Those parts are genuine even if the cabinet isn't original to it!

I agree that it is a fantasy product, combining old and not so old parts. These things sell well on Sunday flea markets.

With that chamber pot underneath how could anyone doubt that it's a Crapo-phone?!

Really, I think it's a collection of parts. That motor dates from well after the external horn era. Probably a mid to late 20's motor.

Probably a mid to late 20's motor.

How can you precisely date the motor from the single picture? It's certainly a good quality motor.