The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I wasn't aware that these machines were sold at Sears? I found this in a 1908 "The Ladies World" magazine.

Larry

It's certainly NOT and EDISON, rather it is a Columbia. Also Edison never used the word Graphophone.

It looks like a Columbia Q or and Columbia Eagle...

)

And a "Gem Graphophone" no less.

Misleading advertising is, alas, nothing new.

Clay

Sears sold a lot of Columbia products, often under different names- and Columbia would make special versions of machines for them. Columbia was selling moulded brown wax records though Sears into the early 20th C. possibly to use up old wax stock at a low price.

Very interesting. You can tell I haven't a clue about cylinder machines and never have! I as it was mentioned strictly went by what the ad said. Perhaps since its a very early period and Edison was noted as the inventor of the phonograph they included his name as a sort of reference to his inventing them?

Larry

Well: several Columbias were offered in the 1900 Sears catalogue, and to my recollection none of them mentioned Edison - although I think one of them was referred to as the 'Gem' (either the Q or the B). Perhaps the copywriter was being a bit imaginative that day.

Bill

The machine shown is an Eagle. Although the illustration is not terribly detailed, my Q and Eagle are sitting on the shelves close by and I can see the similarities and differences. Edison's legal department probably took care of this very quickly.

Jim