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This is an interesting picture. What appears to be a working class man in England seems to be the proud owner of a large brass-horned Pathé machine. It would be interesting to know how this came about as I imagine it would have been an unusual and expensive machine at the time. What are the things in the corners that it is standing on ? Are they attached to the machine or part of the table top ?

Gramtastic wrote:This is an interesting picture. What appears to be a working class man in England seems to be the proud owner of a large brass-horned Pathé machine. It would be interesting to know how this came about as I imagine it would have been an unusual and expensive machine at the time. What are the things in the corners that it is standing on ? Are they attached to the machine or part of the table top ?

The machine is a Pathé concert, and the four cup supports are probably not part of it, at least they are absent in mine and in all the others I have seen. It is a nice photo, and this was one of the most expensive Pathé models sold at the time, worth a snapshot.

He is probably quite well off .Look at his clothes which are probably new .Watch and chain .

I love the cracked paint on the wooden wall

The children are also clean and well dressed, although looking unhappy about having to keep still for the photographer.

Although the Pathé is clearly a treasured possession, it is possible that the owner may not have purchased it new.

The cracked paint is probably bitumastic. I can remember my grandfather using the stuff on his garden shed, and warning me not to get it on my skin.

Do we know for certain this is an English picture? I wonder as the Pathé "Concert Modele A" appears to be the early French variant and therefore not quite the same as the model offered in Britain (the mouldings are very slightly different).

As Carlos has already stated this was the most expensive "external" horn machine in the 1910 catalogue, albeit the least expensive "Concert" model. It was not catalogued with the other open horn models but the Model 12 was 175 Fr whilst this particular machine sold for 225 Fr. The other Concert models were still horn machines with the same flower horns but simply encased within cupboards.

The raised feet in the postcard are absolutely nothing to do with the machine and are not part of the cabinet. The brass horn is 60cm diameter, somewhat larger than the equivalent HMV / Victor horns.

If the picture could be enlarged and/or enhanced, the record sleeve might tell us whether it is English or French.

epigramophone wrote:If the picture could be enlarged and/or enhanced, the record sleeve might tell us whether it is English or French.

The writing on the bottom of the sleeve says "Important Notice"

Barry

Hi, this is the back of the postcard which suggested it was British .

It also says Pathé's Disc NOT Disque Pathé clearly UK

Here are photos of the Concert base unit recently sold on eBay which I am in the process of restoring. The governor springs are broken and the winder was missing. Does anyone have a spare "onion" connection for the horn please ? The broken original in the photo (which I bought from a different source) is cast from the dreaded mazac.