The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Looking for nice clean chip brush ,oil can and screwdriver that would have come in Edison Home outfit from around 1900.Thanks Eric

Just curious... What does the screw driver look like? Jerry

Jerry B. wrote:Just curious... What does the screw driver look like? Jerry

Jerry,
I can't find a picture ,only information that it came with a couple different types. Maybe in time someone in the Forum will have a picture to post of one? I hope to turn one up.
Thanks Eric

Here is a screwdriver that came with the Opera I bought years ago. I can't find the brush that came with it. I will have to do some more digging to find that. The handle is mahogany. Did the Opera come with these items?
Ken

Phono-Phan wrote:Here is a screwdriver that came with the Opera I bought years ago. I can't find the brush that came with it. I will have to do some more digging to find that. The handle is mahogany. Did the Opera come with these items?
Ken

Ken,
In the same book it does not show that it came with the machine but that doesn't mean it didn't . The Diamond disc machines have a box in the back that held a cheese cloth , a pinpoint oiler and a scewdriver . I really don't know how to find a picture of the appropriate screwdriver , maybe the only way to find out is if someone has a Home and found one inside? I would really like to find a clean chip brush that was supplied by Edison.
Eric

By studying The Phonoscope online, you can find the answers to most of your questions. I have enlarged the woodcuts to show details, but inevitably some resolution was lost.

The earliest woodcuts depicting the Home show a typical chip brush (these were simply small paintbrushes and were probably obtained from more than one manufacturer, and may have been supplied in more than one size), and a flat round oiler:
In late 1897, the woodcut was changed to reflect the new Home mechanism and cabinet. The oiler was also changed...:
When the Standard was introduced in early 1898, the chip brush and oiler looked the same as those included with the Home:
Here's an Edison 1901 catalog showing the Home with the accessories included. Note that no screwdriver is mentioned. You can click on this image twice to enlarge it.
And finally, here's a 1903 Edison catalog showing the Home, but with no accessories. The description makes it clear that once again, no screwdriver was included. You can click this image twice to enlarge it.
Any period paintbrush or oiler will do if they conform to these illustrations.

Also, just a friendly word of advice. Although George Frow is sadly no longer with us, the current copyright owner of Frow's Edison Cylinder Phonograph Companion is a member of this forum. I don't expect him to raise a stink, but it's generally bad form to reproduce copyrighted materials here without permission.

I hope this helps.

George P.

And finally, here's a 1903 Edison catalog showing the Home, but with no accessories. The description makes it clear that once again, no screwdriver was included. You can click this image twice to enlarge it.



Also, just a friendly word of advice. Although George Frow is sadly no longer with us, the current copyright owner of Frow's Edison Cylinder Phonograph Companion is a member of this forum. I don't expect him to raise a stink, but it's generally bad form to reproduce copyrighted materials here without permission.

I hope this helps.

George P.[/quote]


Ok lets forget about the screwdriver . Does anyone have a chip brush for sale? I'm sure that George Frow would probably be happy how much information iv'e got from his books !

Thanks Eric

Here are a few pictures of a Home Suitcase I bought from the son of the original owner. The family lived in Connecticut. He sold me the complete collection his father had which includes the machine, both a small and a large brass horn, a box of 23 brown wax cylinders with the matching title listed on the inside of the cover, and a matching Automatic Recorder in the wooden box along with a small rag and original screwdriver.

Rich Gordon

rgordon939 wrote:Here are a few pictures of a Home Suitcase I bought from the son of the original owner. The family lived in Connecticut. He sold me the complete collection his father had which includes the machine, both a small and a large brass horn, a box of 23 brown wax cylinders with the matching title listed on the inside of the cover, and a matching Automatic Recorder in the wooden box along with a small rag and original screwdriver.

Rich Gordon

Rich,
Thanks for the post! I sent a E-mail to you .
Thanks Eric

Here's what was in an early Home I bought a long time ago that had a three recorders and a couple of reproducers in it. There was a couple of those screwdrivers in that one and I always had the impression that the guy had an older version and kept some of the stuff that came with the first machine. I can dig around and see where the extra screwdriver went if you want. I do want to keep one of them and the brush.