Question: Did the Victrola XI come with albums?

[oldphonographsteve]

I just have one question: would a 1915 Victrola XI have come with albums?

-Steve

[De Soto Frank]

Neither Baumbach's "Look for the Dog" nor Paul C. Edie's "Victor-Victrola" Websie website mention albums as being standard equipment with the Victrola XI.

"Look for the Dog" does mention the XI record storage compartment being revised in 1914 to "horizontal slats for storage of record albums", and in the section on the Victrola XIV, that in the August 1912 restyle of that model, the vertical slats were replaced with horizontal shelves and the XIVs were now "supplied with 13 record albums".

I would take that to mean that if the XI had been supplied with albums, there would be some mention of it ?

Perhaps someone with a 1915 Victor catalog could clarify this ?

[phonojim]

According to the Victor Data Book, The VV-XVI type F, introduced in May 1914 "...each shelf holds 18 records or one 10 page album." It does not specify whether or not the albums were provided with the machine or were optional. All I can say is that I have owned several XVIs and none came with any albums. I have seen a few with aftermarket cardboard pull-out drawers for record storage.

jim