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I was looking at an old book I had about Edison and came across a picture of a phonograph set into a cement cabinet! The description in the book doesn't say any more about it than that...but what a fabulous looking machine and I wondered if anyone had ever seen anything like it "in the flesh". I just love the way the girls shawl is formed to make the horn.

PS: thank you to MordEth for helping me with the picture
RJ

Wow! Beautiful!

You are positive that is an Edison phonograph? We all know Edison thought cement was going to save the world... and there is the picture of Edison's cement DD phonos...

I would love to know more about that, how it sounds, how many there are, who made / sculpted it...

Thanks again for sharing!

The caption in my book says only the following "Edison developed not only the cement house but cement furniture and, shown here, a cement phonograph cabinet"

In the acknoledgements section against the photo all it says is "Photograph supplied by the Edison National Historic Site, Orange, New Jersey.

The actual text in the book adds nothing to the photograph caption which is a shame, however I assume that this is a picture of an Edison phonograph...unless anyone knows different. Can you just imagine having one of these in your living room! WoW!

RJ

richardh wrote:I was looking at an old book I had about Edison and came across a picture of a phonograph set into a cement cabinet! The description in the book doesn't say any more about it than that...but what a fabulous looking machine and I wondered if anyone had ever seen anything like it "in the flesh". I just love the way the girls shawl is formed to make the horn.

PS: thank you to MordEth for helping me with the picture
RJ

that actually appears to be a cylinder player... is that the end of a mandrel I see? strange.

What an optical illusion! Yes, that could indeed be the end of a mandrel or it could be a lateral soundbox resting on a disc.



Rocky

The pic with TAE is taken in the Library at the West Orange lab. Note the end of the folding cot to the right? You Know Who had it in shelves of the library so he could take one of his famous catnaps. And aren't they all cylinder machines? Wasn't the height of the moulded concrete thingy just before the diamond disc era?
Jim

I first saw the cylinder phono picture Richard posted when I was 14 & have loved it ever since. It was in the back of a small Frow book showing all the cylinder models I think.
I'd imagine it was a travelling mandrel model?

I wonder if the cement phonograph in the picture survives somewhere. Maybe somebody managed to convert it into a garden fountain.

I want one of those!!

On a closer inspection, it looks very much like the end of a mandrel.

I wonder about the acoustic qualities of concrete, a tad from optimal me thinks?

http://www.mulhollandpress.com/ed.htm

This book is a must for any Edison fan...has much info on the Cement versions.