The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Ran across this ad which I have never seen reproduced before. It dates from June 1906 and I find it interesting because for once Edison shows a horn of decent size on the machine. Most of the ads before 1907.... at which point the company began including a large segmented horn and crane with each machine.... have either the 14 inch witch's hat or a slightly bigger horn which still needed no crane. But this dates from pre " big horn " Edison. The one in this ad would have been an optional accessory for which the buyer had to cough up extra cash.

Jim

Interesting, at that point wouldn't that horn and crane also have come from a third party?

They would be third party, although the Edison dealers sold a full range of options...not supplied by the National Phonograph Co. Babson sold their mail order Edison outfits with large horns before 1907. That was when Edison decided that the teensy horn equipment they supplied was cutting into their sales : folks realized that they had to buy a larger horn and crane to get decent sound.
I've got reprints of the 1901 and 1905 Edison machine catalogues. 1901, interestingly, has a full range of horns and cranes...that they didn't manufacture of course, but supplied them as extras. By 1905 that had ended it seems. At that point the only large horn supplied was on the Concert phonograph which was obsolete.

Jim

The horn crane pictured in the ad is a Tea Tray No.20.

George P.

Interesting also that the room features a gas table-lamp ( note the rubber hose running upwards )...

One might think that Edison would have thoughtfully placed an electric lamp in the ad, to further boost his market saturation... ?

Machine appears to be a Home, either a late A, or a "Banner" B...

I had that very thought about the gas table lamp : perhaps they're a young couple in their first home...saving towards having the house wired, at which time they'll get a Triumph.
JRT