The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hiya folks,

Frow states that a total of 190 Consolettes were produced between May and August, 1927 (pg. 174) -- to be sold at $250 -- but, he doesn't offer any more specific detailed information than that.

I've read accounts of one (Talking Machine World -- July 15, 1927 pg.66) used as an exhibition machine accompanying Charles Edison, and Arthur T. Walsh, on their July 1927 trip to the 3rd. annual Western Music Trades Convention, held on July 11 in San Francisco.

The following is an exact transcription from the article:

Edison and Walsh Attend
Pacific Coast Convention

President and Vice-President of Thos. A. Edison,
Inc., Display Latest Edison Products
to Far Western Music Dealers


Charles Edison, president of Thos. A. Edison,
Inc., and son of Thos. A. Edison, noted inventor
and founder of the great business insti-
tution, together with Arthur L. Walsh, vicepresident
and general manager of the phonograph
division of Edison, Inc., left Orange on
July 5 for the Pacific Coast, where they will
attend the Third Annual Convention of the
Western Music Trades Association in San
Francisco during the week of July 11.

During the convention the Pacific Coast
dealers will have an opportunity of seeing and
hearing at the St. Francis Hotel the latest Edison
products, including the Consolette Model
that provides a wider range of tone, combined
with excellent qualities, than is found in Edison
products of the past. The new instrument, together
with the forty-minute record and the
new dance reproducer, are expected to prove as
interesting to the Far Western dealers as they
were to those who had a chance to see the
latest Edison products at the recent Chicago
convention.

Following the San Francisco convention,
Messrs. Edison and Walsh will return at once
to Orange for the purpose of completing arrangements
for the proper observance of the
fiftieth anniversary of the invention of the
phonograph by Thos. A. Edison, which will
naturally assume nation-wide proportions.

The "Consolette" that accompanied Edison and Walsh was capable of LP operation AND "regular" playback.

I believe the name "Consolette" was just a temporary exhibition model designation that would eventually become the Edisonic "Schubert" or "Beethoven"; probably after the company projected the eventual discontinuation of the Long Playing products, and in anticipation of the next "New Edison" models; yet unnamed.

I've seen a couple various "Golden Jubilee" promotional articles in TMW: the first was in August 1927 (pg.68), in which a picture of an obvious Beethoven was captioned as the "Jubilee Model Edison Phonograph"; the second was in September 1927 (pg.26), in which an obvious (unnamed) Schubert is shown during an award ceremony alongside TAE and NJ Governor A. Harry Moore. This might explain some few "Edisonic" Phonographs with apparently original LP attachments, and the remote possibility that a few may have (I hesitate to imply this as anything other than hypothetical) actually been assembled at the factory (Frow pg. 177) for sale, before the official "Edisonic" model designations were adopted.

Certainly the "Schubert" model designation on the data plate (CLT) insinuates (to me, at least) an abbreviation for "Consolette"; this is compelling, but in and of itself, is NOT conclusive in identifying exactly what was the earlier demonstration machine. Remember: the "Consolette" appears in documentation 2 months before the Edisonics were named and promoted in advertising.

It seems unknown if any actual "Consolette" machines were ever actually sold, and what it may have actually looked like.

So; Have any of the more experienced members here ever positively identified a legitimate pre-Edisonic "Consolette" in person? I would be greatly appreciative to view actual photographic proof of one with the word associated.

Regards,
Fran

These articles are fascinating. When the Edisonic " spoke" to Edison I think that was via an electrically recorded Diamond Disc. Given how opposed the old boy was, initially at least, to electrical recording it's a wonder he didn't kick the machine. I'm kidding of course, but it is kind of ironic.

Jim

I do know of a "Schubert" phonograph that was sold last year at the APS show to a man who bought my English Gothic Pathé. This Schubert was unlike any I had seen because instead of having "The Edisonic" at the back of the cabinet, it said "The New Edison" like a Long Play machine.

marcapra wrote:I do know of a "Schubert" phonograph that was sold last year at the APS show to a man who bought my English Gothic Pathé. This Schubert was unlike any I had seen because instead of having "The Edisonic" at the back of the cabinet, it said "The New Edison" like a Long Play machine.

Hi Marc,
I remember seeing that in Ralph's inventory post. No.1020. It's the machine that got me starting to think when I saw the decal, but it doesn't have LP gearing.
Here's a link to msherman's post in the thread.
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 91#p129691
Fran

Interesting thread!

It doesn't add much, but I remembered that George Frow in his book The Edison Disc Phonographs and the Diamond Discs states on page 172 (in his section on the Long-Playing Consoles): "The first four Long Playing Console Models appeared simultaneously, followed a little later by the Consolette, a rare model of which nothing is known at the time of writing except its selling price and production figures."

Then, on the next page, there's a chart of production figures that shows the following Consolettes manufactured:

Week ending May 31, 1927: 151
Week ending June 30, 1927: 33
Week ending July 31, 1927: 1
Week ending August 6, 1927: 5

Under "Some Details of the Long Playing Consoles and Consolette," Frow adds (also on page 174) that the Consolette was "First Completed" in May 1927 and had a cost of $250. He adds "it is presumed the Consolette also had identical mechanisms" to the Long Play Consoles.

So, that's that.

Ralph

P.S. Considering that almost 200 Consolettes were made--and that NONE seemed to have survived--leads me to this theory: that they were the same cabinets as the Schubert and when the Edisonics were introduced the cabinets for the Consolettes (which I bet were never sold) were outfitted as Schubert Edisonics. Hence the "New Edison" decal on serial no. 1020; and this supports Fran's observation on the significance of the "CLT" designation on the Schubert I.D. tags.

pughphonos wrote: P.S. Considering that almost 200 Consolettes were made--and that NONE seemed to have survived--leads me to this theory: that they were the same cabinets as the Schubert and when the Edisonics were introduced the cabinets for the Consolettes (which I bet were never sold) were outfitted as Schubert Edisonics. Hence the "New Edison" decal on serial no. 1020; and this supports Fran's observation on the significance of the "CLT" designation on the Schubert I.D. tags.

Ralph, I agree with you except on one point: I really don't think we should assume "...NONE seemed to have survived...", I think it's probable that some did.

If 190 Consolettes were produced, then we would have to assume they were serialized.

The question now becomes: "At what number did serialization start?"

If it was #1000 (as has been reported in other instances) then conceivably some machines under 1190 could potentially have been pre-Edisonic Consolettes.

In your cited "New Amberola Graphic" Edisonic Survey (July 1987 pg.8) posted here: http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 361#p97361, CLT 1050 was reported as assumed original. That machine fits my criteria for a Consolette very nicely, and is also the only presumably original Schubert noted in my data with the appropriate double spring motor.

Marcapra's Beethoven (BN 1200) has been reported as original, too. Though Marc's machine is 10 units above Frow's total recorded production, both of these machines can still be recognized as fitting my criteria for the designation of Consolette (in my opinion). My data indicates that it's possible the Long Playing Consoles (1-C, 2-C, 3-C, 4-C) may have shared the same serial number block, so serialization of the "Consolette" wouldn't have necessarily progressed numerically sequential.

Most of the remaining Schuberts and Beethovens I have recorded can be discounted from "original" by the owner's declaration of modification, so I recognize only the above two as potential prospects at this point.

Because of the articles I've discovered in Talking Machine World mentioning the Consolette, I speculate it could have been exhibited in either -- or both -- cabinet versions. This would make sense given that that's exactly how the Edisonic was eventually offered. If the machines were exhibited without proper "CLT" or "BN" dataplates -- or with some version of temporarily designated ones -- then it wouldn't be difficult to imagine the final plates being affixed at a later time after the final model names were adopted in September. They were also previously referred to as the "Jubilee Models", adding even more confusion to the topic.

I'm hoping that possibly some of the older members here might have some experience with other known original examples, and that they might eventually emerge over time.

Best,
Fran

VERY fascinating, Fran. I'm on board with your analysis 100%.

When you created your Edisonic database to also include the Long Play machines it was quite fortuitous/appropriate as it appears now that the Edisonics evolved from the LP machines.

These revolutionary developments in the Edison phonograph company in 1926-27 are amazing.

Ralph

Thank you Ralph for the kind words. I only hope I'm peeing on the right tree.

Fran