The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

And now it's MINE! Needs only TLC, some scuffs. This thing is big! I thought, as a novelty phonograph, Pathé Frères would be light and insubstantial. This is big and heavy.

Novelty phonograph in the sense it plays records from the inside out, had reproducer facing to the front, and has records only it can play.

Wow! Nice find! It looks pretty fancy with the column carvings on the corners.

Let us know and see how it turns out!

-Connor

Very nice early Pathé phono! There's a way to improve the looks immediately. Take off the tacky grille cloth someone put in there!

So, I see the machine is a Pathé.

I am a bit confused about the rest of the description: the reproducer seems to be in the lateral position, not vertical; and how does it play only center start records? Unless there were a mechanical feed, the tone arm should move both ways...

Bill

Hi,
I have the same questions than Lucius1958.
To my understanding, only early saphir records started from the center; as well, these gramophones were also able to play later saphir records. The reproducer, being in lateral position,should only play lateral records.
Are you sure that this gramophone is from circa 1916?
In all cases, it's a nice piece!
Jeff

There is a reproduction advertising sign on eBay that features this machine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-x-10-Metal-Si ... 2531896146

-Connor

Yes it is from the 1915-16 era if you look in the Ron Dethlefson book on Pathé machines. And since we have a poster from France, out of respect for the French language, we should all learn how to correctly pronounce the French words we have in our hobby. How about a Cygnet horn? Is it pronounced sig-net, or sin-yay. If you said sin-yay, you are correct. And how do you pronounce Pathé? Do you say path-thay, or pa-tay. If you say pa-tay, that is correct. Also we should realize that the Pathé phonograph floor models like the one shown above were not made in France. Pathé opened a factory in Brooklyn to produce phonographs and records for American consumption.