The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Is there any way to tell the date range when Ediphone used the 2 reproducer carriage mount? Seems it was an early innovation that didn't last very long.

Thanks!

Cliff

Cliff, I know that they were used at least from 1899 up to 1907 with the Standard "D" model way before it was ever referred to as the Ediphone. It was just simply known as the "Edison Business Phonograph" produced in a typical Edison Standard Phonograph case, but it had heavy duty special hinges. The Ediphone name came later when the cases went from wood to netal framed cases. No Ediphones that I know of were produced in wood cases. Ediphones came in the early teens I think.

I had a 1907 Edison Business Machine Model "D" and sold it two years ago. It was a rare Golden Oak Mechanical Spring Motor manual model too and not an electric one. I don't know if they used the "Spectacle" carriage past the 1907 "D" Model, but they might have. It's called a "Spectacle" carriage because it looks like a pair of old Spectacle glasses. I don't think that the later metal cased Ediphones came with the Spectacle carriages. I would say that your "Spectacle" carriage that you have pictured is most likely from a Model "A" or Model "B" Edison Standard Business Machine that was in a wood case.

The one that you have pictured above is a very Early one as it is labeled "Talk here" and "Listen here". These were later re-labeled and changed to simply "Recorder" and "Reproducer" somewhere around the "B" and "C" models..but the part was pretty much identically the same...just labeled different.

:0)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer