The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Subject: Phonograph ID.....What was it????

This afternoon I saw a movie on TV that I had not seen for years. It was the movie "Out of Africa" with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep made in 1985. It looks like a Columbia Grafanola Phonograph that they are using, but I do not know which model. I'm an Edison guy..

Anyone know?

)

Tony K.

well i don't know either
but here's the foto from the film

I would venture a guess that it is a Columbia "Favorite" because it is a tabletop and you can see the outline of the louvers instead of doors. I owned one for short time but sold it. Not definite, but that is my slightly educated guess.

Matt

Yup, That's it! Thanks for adding the pic!

It looks line a Columbia Grafanola Model 50 (C-2, D-2?)to me... or Maybe a late Zon-O-Phone ?

It definitely has the two speaker slats.....no doors....You're right. Maybe someone can identify it by the lid or the base...?

Anyone got any ideas?

If it is a Columbia "Favorite", It's a later one vs an earlier one...

)

Tony K.

Having gone through Baumbach & Lackey, the lid profile does not resemble anything in there….

Could it perhaps be a British model?

Bill

The machine is a UK Columbia "Standard Table Grand" of about 1929. It appears to be in Oak, which would make it a No.119a, and was also available in Mahogany as the No.120a.

Bingo!

Thanks!

That would have taken quite a while to figure out.

I wonder how many years it was produced...? from when to when?

)

The "Standard Table Grand" had been around since at least 1925 and underwent several updates. The "Viva-Tonal" version arrived in late 1926 as the 119 and 120, and the 119a and 120a in late 1928.

After the 1931 merger with HMV to form EMI, all existing Columbia models except the portables were rapidly phased out. Whilst the HMV archives were preserved by EMI, the same care was not extended to Columbia, and production data is therefore unobtainable.

Thanks for the picture- the lid molding and proportions in general on the UK Columbia are very different from the American counterpart