Viva tonal Columbia grafonola no 210

[bamse71]

Hey have got hold of a wind up gramophone, is there anyone who can tell anything about this, When is this produced. Viva Tonal Columbia grafonola no. 210. During the plate is 926 S.
All info is received with great thanks.

Bamse

[epigramophone]

This machine does not appear to be a UK Columbia. Post-1931 EMI Columbia portables were usually allocated chronological model numbers, and the home market models were :

204 (1933-1952)
206 (1938-1941) re-introduced as the 9000 (1946-1957)
211 (1939-1961)

It follows therefore that the Model 210, if it existed, should date from 1938/39 but your machine appears to date from the late 1920's when all UK Columbia portables except the American designed 113a had the distinctive Plano-Reflex tonearm.

Did USA Columbia produce a Model 210? Perhaps our American members will know.

I have to say that your machine looks British made, possibly by one of the many small firms who assembled gramophones using bought in components, and that the Columbia flap inside the lid may be a later addition.

[soundgen]

Flap a later addition ? Oh please !

Soundbox isn't Columbia though , neither does the tone arm look like a Columbia unless much later

[soundgen]

Can you post some pictures of the motor ?

[GrafonolaG50]

I don't know if this will help much, but my G50 portable has the same style tonearm, but a different reproducer.

[epigramophone]

Flap a later addition ? Oh please !

Soundbox isn't Columbia though , neither does the tone arm look like a Columbia unless much later

Stranger things have happened, although usually to disguise machines as HMV rather than Columbia.

Not only are the soundbox and tonearm on this machine not by Columbia or EMI, but also the turntable and speed control are not by Columbia/Garrard. If this machine is indeed a Columbia, which I doubt, it may be an obscure overseas model as yet unknown to collectors. It is certainly unknown to me.

[GrafonolaG50]

I have noticed there is very little info on Columbia portables. I found almost no info on mine besides what I learned here. Mine turned out to be for the Japanese market.

[epigramophone]

I have noticed there is very little info on Columbia portables. I found almost no info on mine besides what I learned here. Mine turned out to be for the Japanese market.

I have a 208G (featured elsewhere on this forum) and a 220, both of which were overseas models not catalogued in the UK. I acquired the 208G from the grand-daughter of the original owner, who had purchased it new whilst serving in Hong Kong. The 220 came to me with a matching Columbia record carrying case bearing a luggage label of The China Mutual Steam Navigation Company, so it too spent time in the Far East.

As I mentioned in a recent article for the CLPGS magazine, when HMV and Columbia merged in 1931 to form EMI, the HMV archives were carefully preserved but the same care was not extended to Columbia. This lack of source material would make it difficult for anyone to write an authoritative book on UK Columbia machines, so unfortunately we are unlikely ever to see one.

[bamse71]

Can you post some pictures of the motor ?

Hello again and thanks for all the answers, add a couple of pictures of engine, the only marking I can find is under where it says 926S, Can it be a model especially for European / Scandinavian do not think grandpa was in it abroad on the currently, nice if someone can pinpoint this.

Bamse

[epigramophone]

UK Columbia had a long standing contract with Garrard for the supply of motors, and being Garrard's largest customer they were able to have the Columbia name stamped on them. The motor pictured does not look like a Garrard.