The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

As a follow-up to a discussion that began in the Yankee Trader Section:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =9&t=33535

I was interested in the comparisons between Berliner and Zonophone and asked George if he could recall anything more specific about the article Jerry referenced. George remembered some Consumer Report type articles he published in the New Amberola Graphic, during the 1985 or 1986 time-frame.

Using the search term CONSUMER, with my Antique Phonograph Society account, under Articles / Advanced / Search; the Search revealed several articles, including one labeled:

NAG-1986-03_redacted.pdf

There it was and viewable now from my Dropbox account using the link at the end of this post.

NOTE 1: “Redacted” simply means personally identifiable information was removed

Note 2: Exactly how George or Jerry could quickly recall a 1985 / 1986 article remains a mystery, although we may need to compare medication lists. There could be a completely new discovery here somewhere.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t41fx9lcckdkg ... d.pdf?dl=0

Thanks Rod, you made it very easy to revisit the Consumer Report comparison. When you read the article you get the impression that Eldridge Johnson was not motivated to improve the Berliner in much the same way that Henry Ford felt that the Model T was the perfect auto for the general public until sales dropped from competition. The introduction of the Zonophone motivated Johnson to make major improvements in his machines.

Thanks, Jerry Blais

rodpickett wrote: Note 2: Exactly how George or Jerry could quickly recall a 1985 / 1986 article remains a mystery, although we may need to compare medication lists. There could be a completely new discovery here somewhere.

I've often wondered this of George, while discussing "things" up in his belfry. I'm constantly astonished of his ability to recall any number of archaic details from decades ago. As for the possibility of our medications being different: yes, quite.

Addedum:
As for George's "Consumer Report": A+ for creativity, and clarity. I'll need to take a journey through more of that series of reports!

Best,
Fran

Hmmm... The explanation may be that I'm somewhere on the Autism spectrum, but that general subject has already been thoroughly discussed elsewhere on this forum...

I haven't read those articles in a long, long time. What really impresses me is how far our hobby has come regarding quality publications. Those photos of the Zonophone C and Berliner Improved Gramophone look like they might have been taken in 1899! (Except Zonophones were not available in 1899 - despite what was printed in The Phonoscope at the time!) Compare those photos to what appears in The Antique Phonograph in full color on quality paper: And this one was an outtake!

Before the availability if digital printing, those photocopied newsletters were all we had. And 30 years ago, I didn't know what an "Internet" was...

Best to all,
George P.