USB drive styled as a phonograph sound box--Puritan phonos

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victorIIvictor
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USB drive styled as a phonograph sound box--Puritan phonos

Post by victorIIvictor »

This is a question for folks who own or are familiar with with Puritan phonographs or other phonograph brands produced by the Wisconsin Chair Company, specifically their sound boxes. In late October, an expensive, boutique collection of releases from the Paramount label will be issued, with most of the 800 recordings coming in the form of a USB drive styled as a phonograph sound box. Details on this lavish release are here:

http://thirdmanrecords.com/news/view/pa ... er-cabinet


http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... t-20130924


http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville ... ing-nov-19

If you visit the first link, for Third Man Records, you can see a close-up picture of this USB drive, a "Paramount No. 2" manufactured by the "Paramount Talking Machine Co." I assume the creators of this set took a Victor No. 2 sound box and just altered the credits, but I was curious if this aspect of this "tribute" to Paramount Records is historically accurate or not. (Did the Wisconsin Chair Company manufacture Paramount Phonographs?)

Thanks, Mark

estott
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Re: USB drive styled as a phonograph sound box--Puritan phon

Post by estott »

Paramount did make machines, they were very generic machines similar to hundreds of other off brand makes. If I am not mistaken, this is one.

There was also an Orthophonic style Paramount phonograph made in the 1920's. No relation to the Wisconsin company, probably made in the UK.
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victorIIvictor
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Re: USB drive styled as a phonograph sound box--Puritan phon

Post by victorIIvictor »

Thank you for your reply, estott. I should have done more research before I posted, here are some more pictures of a Paramount phonograph:

http://www.paramountshome.org/gallery/t ... =4&page=14

… shows an upright, badged "Paramount" on the lid decal, but there are no images showing what the company was called nor what might be printed on the sound box.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 16,1926280

… is a page from the Milwaukee Journal from November 14, 1920, the title of which refers to the "Paramount Phonograph Co." but does not use this term in the article. Somehow, "Paramount Phonograph Co." seems a more likely designation than "Paramount Talking Machine Co."

Given the latter-day fame of Paramount records, it's interesting that their phonograph line, although undistinguished, is scarcely represented on the Internet.

estott
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Re: USB drive styled as a phonograph sound box--Puritan phon

Post by estott »

They may have found the phonograph market to be saturated. Also, the interest in Paramount records is very narrow- mostly just their race catalog. They put out a lot of other run of the mill material (especially in their earlier issues) and little of that is seriously collected.

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howardpgh
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Re: USB drive styled as a phonograph sound box--Puritan phon

Post by howardpgh »

The lyre shaped Puritan phonograph pictured on the Paramount site looks neat.

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Re: USB drive styled as a phonograph sound box--Puritan phon

Post by Edisone »

I know I'm out of touch with "reality" - $600 comes to mind as the price of this rather odd set, but the real price is prolly much much higher. Good thing I have absolutely zero interest in 'blues' of any kind.

victorIIvictor
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Re: USB drive styled as a phonograph sound box--Puritan phon

Post by victorIIvictor »

"…interest in Paramount records is very narrow- mostly just their race catalog."

Narrow, perhaps, but quite deep. A Tommy Johnson Paramount just sold on eBay for $37,100 (!) Admittedly, that interest does not necessarily translate into interest in their phonograph line.

"The lyre shaped Puritan phonograph pictured on the Paramount site looks neat."

It does, and there have been postings about that phonograph on this list, which is why I posed my question here. Also, that phonograph is pictured on the early Puritan Records label. See the fourth label down (Puritan 9017-B) here:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =3&t=13379

None of the phonographs badged as Paramount are as striking, it seems.

"I know I'm out of touch with "reality" - $600 comes to mind as the price of this rather odd set, but the real price is prolly much much higher. Good thing I have absolutely zero interest in 'blues' of any kind."

It will sell for $400. With 800 selections covering the years 1917-1927, why would you assume this set will be limited to blues recordings? Paramount and associated labels issued much jazz (by both black and white aggregations), "hot dance," and old time selections of the highest aesthetic (if not technical) quality. I emailed Revenant Records website, asking for track listing.

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