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I was sent these pics the other day. Has anyone heard of a Allen horn..??. Made in Kobe Japan. I think it's interesting. Don't think many would have survived...???.

I have one. The Allen's Paper Lacquer Horn was advertised as "made by hand, of a Japanese rice fiber material, finished with a beautiful lacquer, put on by a new patented process in a permanent glossy jet black color. Beautifully Decorated by Talented Japanese Artists." Initially marketed by Edison's San Francisco agent Peter Bacigalupi, they were later exclusively offered by Byron Mauzy, also of San Francisco. They were made for both cylinder and disc machines. They are rare.

A very attractive horn.

Clay

The picture I posted is old, showing it mounted to a Columbia BM which I no longer own. I just shot an updated one. I'm currently displaying it with a Columbia AB. A lot of horn for a machine that size! But it sounds terrific with a Grand cylinder.

As an aside, I just checked my notes: I bought that AB on March 1, 1962. So 52 years ago tomorrow. That machine will never leave my position while I'm alive. It may not be the rarest phonograph I own, but obviously it's one of the most special to me.

TinfoilPhono wrote:The picture I posted is old, showing it mounted to a Columbia BM which I no longer own. I just shot an updated one. I'm currently displaying it with a Columbia AB. A lot of horn for a machine that size! But it sounds terrific with a Grand cylinder.

As an aside, I just checked my notes: I bought that AB on March 1, 1962. So 52 years ago tomorrow. That machine will never leave my position while I'm alive. It may not be the rarest phonograph I own, but obviously it's one of the most special to me.

That is very nice Rene. It appears that the one sent to me has no inner bell decoration.....???.

I've only seen a few of these over the years. There are one or two in George & Tim's books. All the ones I have seen have Japanese decorations inside the bell. Hard to tell from your picture, maybe there's something on the left side that doesn't show? Every one is a bit different, they were all hand done.

We show a cylinder version of an Allen's Paper Lacquered Phonograph Horn" on page 20 of Antique Phonograph Gadgets, Gizmos, and Gimmicks.

On pages 26 & 27 of Antique Phonograph Accessories & Contraptions we show three of these horns, two of which are "Allen's." The interior designs are all different (one of which depicts a snow-topped mountain!). The foreign patent (No.1022) is sometimes found on the fiber horns that were supplied with the earliest Victor VI.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:We show a cylinder version of an Allen's Paper Lacquered Phonograph Horn" on page 20 of Antique Phonograph Gadgets, Gizmos, and Gimmicks.

On pages 26 & 27 of Antique Phonograph Accessories & Contraptions we show three of these horns, two of which are "Allen's." The interior designs are all different (one of which depicts a snow-topped mountain!). The foreign patent (No.1022) is sometimes found on the fiber horns that were supplied with the earliest Victor VI.

George P.

Thanks for the info George. I take it "some" may not been decorated on the inner bell??. The stencil states "ALLENS HORN". No apostrophe. Is that correct ??.

Well, the Victor examples are not decorated.

You are correct - - there is no apostrophe.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:Well, the Victor examples are not decorated.

You are correct - - there is no apostrophe.

George P.

Hum, well maybe there is at times. See attch. from the October 1903 edition of the Edison Phonograph Monthly.

Clay