The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

We've had discussions about machines that were painted with special finishes after they left the factory. On the discussion pertaining to painted machines there were copies of period correct ads to offer the painted decorations. Did these same companies also offer to change the appearance of a machine from one type of wood to another? Can anyone offer any ads that answer this question?

Today I bought the Victor III that has been mahoganyized (Is that a new word?). I like it so you will not offend me by saying I'm crazy to buy such a machine. I do not intend to refinish it because I think it's interesting. If you consider the life of this machine since it left the factor about 115 years ago it probably went through the following:

For the first 15 to 25 years it was a viable entertainment piece for playing records. At first it was probably a prized possession. Towards the end of this period it may have been something used by the kids or used for camping entertainment. After the radio became the popular form of entertainment, most of machines we treasure were relegated to basements and attics and unfortunate ones were scrapped for war drives and other various reasons. So after 1930 or shortly later a machine like my Victor III were totally obsolete and were unused until first generation phono nerds started to show interest perhaps about 1950.

If we break down the years since this Victor III left the factory, we have 25 years as an entertainment piece, about 20 or 30 years as, for lack of another word, junk, and the last 65 years as a collectable.

I which of the three time periods do you think this machine was mahoganyized? What's your theory? I'd appreciate any opinions. Please remember that I will not be offended by your replies.

Thanks, Jerry Blais

What's the quality of the finish? It wouldn't have left the factory with any flaws.

Mahogany became a favored finish in the 'teens all the way up to WWII. My 1921 bungalow had all of its Douglas Fir trim finished to look like Mahogany. It is entirely possible that your machine was refinished by the dealer to match a customer's decor. I can recall a time when certain automobiles were hard to come by at all and dealers would re-paint to order. Perhaps it happened years later after a move to a new house. The finish looks old. I wouldn't expect a collector to refinish that way; it would be more difficult for one thing. Regardless, it's a pretty machine and I applaud you for keeping it as-is to tell its own story.

Regards,
Martin

Are we sure it's not a red oak finish?

I like it Jerry, It looks like it definitely has some age to it.
If it were mine I'd leave it as is and like to think that whoever originally purchased it
was an eclectic individual who lived outside the box.

I have a Columbia that has been refinished in oak. It looks like it had been done many many moons ago. It was one of those projects that I put off for a long time as I wanted to refinish it. The case is nice only missing a piece of thin molding. I may reevaluate the refinish job and keep it as is. I will send pics Monday as I am at my other home for the weekend. Tom B

There are many possibilities and theories with this machine. The machine was bought from a dealer when new. By the teen's or mid 20's, Golden Oak was falling out of favor. Mahogany was the choice of wood then. That's why a lot of uprights were Mahogany. That was popular, and Oak was scarce. The lower end machines were Oak, and few in Mahogany. Case in point, the VV VI. This machine could have been around with the same owner, and a Mahogany finish was applied to keep up with the times. Or, this machine could have been purchased second hand from a dealer, local sale, or given away. The possibilities are endless. Back in those days, there was a saying, make do, renew, throw it out, do without. People in those days were very thrifty, and saved useful items. I think the finish was done by a home handyman, to keep up with the times, rather than tossing it. Just my observation.
Harvey Kravitz

I think you should leave it as it and just clean it up a bit. It is very interesting and seems to have been done very well. Very interesting machine that add to your huge forest of phonographs in the basement!

Dan

My grandmother loved to use colored varnish. It makes almost anything look like new! They probably gave something else in the house the 'tune up' and had enough left over to make that old record player look good again. The varnishes in those days dried really slow, so the tinted finishes like that actually leveled out and looked much better in the end than the stuff we have today. I have an empty tin around here somewhere for "bog oak" or some other mysterious color, but it says on the can if you are varnishing something small, after you get the finish laid out smooth, to put it in a warm closet for a few days so it can dry where dust won't settle into the finish.
A friend of mine had a quarter sawn oak music box cabinet that he thought was mahogany until he stripped the finish off. That even had "Golden Oak" stenciled on the base. He thought the stencil was an error until he washed off that old finish.

Maybe the original owner wanted to "keep up with the Joneses". Jones, of course, owned a Victor VI. -bill