The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

A customer came into the shop yesterday with a broken Edison Standard D cylinder phonograph. She brought with her a few cylinders that had belonged to her great aunt, as did the phonograph. Some of the cylinders had German text like the one pictured below. I've never seen that before (I've led a sheltered life). She let me photograph this one and also wanted to know the value. The cylinder contained in this case was correct and in good condition, still some gloss, no scratches, though I recommended we not play it for fear of it breaking.

Anyway, I thought this was pretty cool. She has no intention of selling her cylinders (family heirlooms, you know), but was tickled that I had never seen one before.

Cliff

British, French, and German Edison cylinders and boxes show up in the USA from time to time. They are uncommon here but not particularly valuable. I have about a dozen non-USA boxes in my collection, mostly from trading with other collectors in Europe. They are definitely fun to have and display!

A quick Google search doesn't turn anything up, but Emil Munch shows up from time to time in Edison's German series cylinders, although he certainly wasn't restricted to them; he was also on a number of disk labels, and I have seen at least one Columbia and one US Everlasting cylinder credited to him. Had a very nice baritone voice and seems to have straddled the "classical"/"popular" line. According to Girard & Barnes, he recorded the cylinder you have in Berlin in 1903.