The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/aucti ... c30086b4f2

If anyone needs to re-house some early G&T period parts then you won't get a better opportunity than this! A very rare G & T "Chippendale Grand" cabinet is about to be auctioned and you can participate online using the above link.

It appears to be missing the motor/platter, internal horn, arm/Exhibition soundbox, brake and speed controls, winder etc. The horn was a simple ply box affair and similar to the other horns of 1908-1910 period. In other words, it would be very easy to remake. All the other parts are fairly standard and can be readily found. It might appear to be the motor-board that will give the greatest challenge to any restorer but again, not an insurmountable challenge.

Oddly enough the record dividers and internal decorative moldings have survived intact. A gramophile needs to get this to prevent some muppet carving it up into something even worse. I dread to think what a "Shabby Chic-er" might otherwise do to this. Surely, a great rarity and piece of British gramophone history deserves much better?

Lot no. 254 Dickins Auctioneers.

Well, it made £750 + 20% comms. + 20% VAT so £930 to a non-auction room internet buyer at least.

At that price it's safely out of the destructive Shabby Chic territory and it must have gone to someone with knowledge and interest in gramophones. In other words, someone not totally clueless like the auctioneer(s) clearly were so that's a good result to be chalked up in my opinion.

This is the third Chippendale with empty case to appear within a couple of months: http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 9672&hilit

I note the reference to one "on eBay recently which sold quickly" (December 2014) but that's two. Where was the "third"? Mario's cabinet was discovered in Australia a couple of years ago. I'm not surprised they turn up empty. When these became redundant technology the owners who had probably paid a lot of money for them could re-use the luxury cabinets for other storage. They were too big to store in an attic and forget! We see more complete Sheraton style "Grands" simply because they out-sold the Chippendale style model. I bet many Sheraton style Grands suffered the same fate though.

By the way, I agree with you that the Chippendale should be ebonised.

I overread Mario's remark that he found his (still empty?) Chippendale already a couple of years ago.

Was this the same cabinet that the Gramophone Company used for the Auxeto-gramophone?

Jim

I believe it might have been for one of them anyway. There were several different Auxetophone cabinet styles.