The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

From our Local Newspaper yesterday and odd find of a Cigarette Lighter with an Ad for "Hudson and Houser Automatic Phonographs, Inc. " Not sure even what they would have been selling. The paper is asking for anyone that might have knowledge of this company or other information to let them know. Has anyone seen a similar item? Its a Zippo Mfg. Co lighter. I am sure lighter collectors would find it interesting as well. It was found by a fellow with a metal detector near a local school.

Larry

I have seen the term "automatic phonographs" used by Jukebox operators.

The term "jukebox" didn't come into use until around 1940, before that any coin-op phonograph was an automatic phonograph.

That is a thought, now that I consider that the shape of the lighter might indicate it was from the 40's? Although the phone number seems pretty small for that time period.

Larry

Also, Zippo did not start making lighters until the late 1930s. My guess is that this is also late 30's based on what it is, and the terminology used.

The Dec 13, 1947 BILLBOARD has a list a contributors to the "Coin MAchine Industries, Inc campaign for the Damon Runyon Memorial Fund for Cancer Research" ... J.Houser of the Hudson & Houser Co in Centralia donated $8.

Here's Billboard again, April 8 1944: