The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I remember reading somewhere in 1950's a major US guitar manufacturer discovered employees were writing obscenities and such inside where the neck joins the body (normally where the date stamp is found).
The guitar company apparently took action to curb this once discovered. However, some guitars are found with this hidden graffiti hidden inside all these years later.

A couple weeks ago I bought a Victor motor that had been rescued from a VTLA. This all nickel motor is in wonderful condition, but needed a good cleaning.

To my surprise, I found the initial's W.A.S. and date 10/14/09 inconspicuously inscribed on the signal spring barrel. Mainly hidden away under the main winding gear.

Was this the mischievous work of the Victor mechanic that build this motor..?.

Personally, I think it's a great to have this placed on here over one hundred years ago for us to discover today.

Maybe someone at Wally's Antique Shop rebuilt it in 2009?

Antique Shop? No this is a hidden Mason (upside down W) safe combination; left 10, right 14 and left 9 to the hidden treasure.

All kidding aside the initials and date give the motor a touch of reality to remind us that real person making each day the same as we spend on a chocolate bar,to build this motor.

Bruce

I have also found a date etched into the bottom of a turntable, actually...

It has been a common practice among clock and watch repairmen to write dates, initials and repair codes for many years for a very long time.

My very first thought when I read the thread, repair from Oct. 14 2009. I've had motors with marks on indicating the direction of the spring or the alignment of two Columbia spring barrels.
But who's to say, it could of been from a young man in 1909 at his bench bored.
Open it up and see if the grease is old or if all 3 springs are Victor springs.

Larry Crandell

Phonolair wrote:My very first thought when I read the thread, repair from Oct. 14 2009. I've had motors with marks on indicating the direction of the spring or the alignment of two Columbia spring barrels.
But who's to say, it could of been from a young man in 1909 at his bench bored.
Open it up and see if the grease is old or if all 3 springs are Victor springs.

Larry Crandell

Larry, the motor was covered with old and hard grease. I did check the springs and they are original and covered with hard dried up grease also.

In my opinion, Oct. 14 1909.

That is very interesting. One can only imagine what the fellow looked like, how old he was and where he was when he did it, a bit like a message in a bottle.

phonojim wrote:It has been a common practice among clock and watch repairmen to write dates, initials and repair codes for many years for a very long time.

Quite so. In fact, I engraved my name and date on several places when I finished the Vanderbilt Museum tower clock back in 2000.

Mr Grumpy wrote:Maybe someone at Wally's Antique Shop rebuilt it in 2009?

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