The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Gentlemen,

I am happy to report that I will be going to India this January. I will spend about a week in New Delhi for a friend's wedding, and then after that I have another week to explore on my own. Given India's former British ties, and the former HMV factory in Kolkata, I would expect that there are a good number of interesting gramophones and records across the subcontinent.

Can any of you recommend some shops or markets to explore for gramophones and records while I am in India?

Many thanks,

Garret

Ahh, India, the home of the crap-o-phones Seriously, you can find some very nice, legitimate HMV machines and records. I have some HMV and Columbia records that were pressed in Dum-Dum India. Has anybody heard of those records?
Harvey Kravitz

Unfortunately where there is a crapophone there is usually a pile of overpriced worn out 78's. Dum Dum produced wonderful laminated pressings but trying to find anything playable in India is a rare thing. I do remember someone mentioning a shop in Delhi, perhaps somewhere on this forum.
On my last trip to Sri Lanka I asked a group of Tuk-Tuk drivers if they knew anyone who had old 78 records ( I took one with me as a sample). I spent the following day and a half being driven about in a tuk-tuk . Great way to see a crazy city.
Finally just as I was about to give up, there was a pile of 50 clean 78's mainly of South Indian (Tamil) records for US$100.
Good hunting.

Phonofreak wrote: I have some HMV and Columbia records that were pressed in Dum-Dum India. Has anybody heard of those records?
Harvey Kravitz

We see them fairly regularly in Britain. Excellent quality and quiet shellac, unlike the contemporary chip frying accompanied product from Hayes. Single sided discs from Dum Dum often have unusually glossy looking backs.

The Australian branch also produced very fine pressings.