The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Today is a good day to play a record and think of Thomas Edison and his inventions.

A few days ago, I brought my portable Victrola to a nearby elementary school where we volunteer. It was fun to see the reactions of the students as it was wound up and played. I have been asked to return on Valentine's Day and play a few more records! Share the old music with the younger generation and you will enjoy the experience. Later in the month, another teacher wants me to bring my Edison Fireside to show the class.

Have any others out there taken their phonographs to school? I do know of a few collectors who have done it and found it to be a good way to help teach a little history.

Don M.

Happy Birthday, old Tom!

I haven't taken any of mine to the local school, but I did present my HMV-101 at the county fair 2 years ago and took the Blue Ribbon First Prize with it. Everyone that saw me bring it into the exhibit hall and set it up wanted to hear it. I obliged! I'm thinking about taking my Home there this summer, but It gets very hot in that 150+ year old building, and the security is dubious.

I like the idea of going to the Elementary school to do a presentation, that would be fun, and I'll bet the younger children would be fascinated!

Fran

My first teaching job was at a rather dreary high school near Baltimore, and I've never had more personal insults slung at me, just to give you an idea of the tough customers that I had to deal with.

There was no way that I could bring my open-horn Victrola to school, but I did bring some 78's. I never saw that bunch so docile. They looked at the records with awe, and handed them around with such exaggerated care that I was quite astounded. I built on that, brought in antiques several times thereafter, and those were the best lessons I had with that group.

This brown wax cylinder is dubbed from Blue Amberol 2104. I had put this cylinder to tape in 1997 using a condenser microphone. And DCC deck, I then made regular cassette copies. This is a brown wax cylinder with comparison with the original cylinder played on the machine it was dubbed from.

http://youtu.be/SNiQK5FrjmY

I didn't have a chance to do so yesterday, but this morning, I played about 10 two-minute cylinders on my "Christmas" Standard B.

Happy Birthday, Tom !