The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Picked up an ornate mahogany Model 165 Louis XIV 'Magnola' today. Included are a few record supplements including a 'Broadway' electrical supplement (no date), and a 'Vocalion Records Almanac of Old Time Tunes for December 1929' (the publication date on the back is 10/31/29). The drawers are full of records including a few scarce titles. One of the records is on the 'Famous' label -- first time I've ever seen one. Anyone familiar with it? I'll get photos of the machine, and scans of the record label and supplements up over the weekend.

Is this the one?

No, different! Blue label.

Here's photos of the Magnola (sorry for the motel room background!). This is a very large machine and heavy even with the drawers and motor out for transport. The finish has dulled, but underneath is beautiful flame mahogany veneer. The horn cover is a drop-down door; the record drawers have an accordion of canvas fabric going across the width of the drawers, and the records and numbered paper dividers rest in the pleats. First time I have seen this design. The original record index is still with it, and all the records in the machine correspond to the records in the index -- neat! The motor is a 'Motor of Quallity' double-spring pillar-and-plate Meiselbach. I have the missing trim on the front drawers. This should clean up very nicely!
Here is the 'Famous' record that was with it:
Anyone familiar with it?

I'll post the supplements later.

Here are some sample pages from the supplements. Note the O/T filler about reading the personality through hand shape in the Vocalion supplement (!) Vocalion supplement is publication dated 10/31/29 . . . the same day Edison quit the phonograph business and two days after the stock market crashed. Couldn't be too many of these around. The Broadway supplement appears to be late '20's as well.

The "Famous" label must have been part of the Plaza group, as they apparently shared masters with Regal. That same master (989) was issued on Regal 9319 in February of 1922. Would it be "Swanee River Moon" by the Stellar Quartet on the flip side?

Info at http://78discography.com/Reg9100.htm

Nice machine, by the way! Those regional early 20s ones are fascinating. Frequently only around for a few months then out of business.

Thanks also for posting pictures of the catalogs that came with it. What was that article about hand types doing in the catalog, I wonder?

Schmaltz,
Thanks for the input and comments. Magnola advertised in 'Talking Machine World' in September 1916. I pulled the back upper panel and found a S/N 1042 stamped into the cabinet frame. I would assume numbering began at 1000.

The flip is 1005 'Carolina Rose' by Sam Ash. What does that tell you? The numbers in the run-out are the same as the numbers on the labels.

Ah, so "Famous" used a different B-side for this release. Matrix 1005 was issued on Banner 1047, also a Plaza label if I'm not mistaken.

reference: http://78discography.com/Ban1000.htm

So this Magnola machine was made before our involvement in WWI? Took a brave board of directors to run the lawsuit gauntlet at that point in time.

I think 1916 was a tipping point for off-brand phono manufacture. Perhaps with the expiration of the Victor-held patents rapidly approaching, some brave companies felt that it was worth the risk to go forward and be in better position than to wait until it was totally safe and become lost in the accompanying land rush. I know Victor pursued at least one company (Keenophone?) even just a month or two the patents expired. The Magnola ad in TMW was rather late in the year (September).

So Schmaltz, is this 'Famous' label new to you, too?

Yep, John, that label is totally new to me. Never seen one before.