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The big project lately has been getting a friend's family phonograph back to going. It is an Edison Home cylinder machine, green oak & banner case. We have a pretty good idea who the original owner might have been, and here's a hint--if you love architecture in NYC right at the turn of the century, this guy was seriously a BIG DEAL.

The whole thing is completely unmolested. The finish is shiny & crisp. I found a little rust in the motor, potmetal decay on the pulley, etc. but nothing a cleaning couldn't fix. I changed the pulley for a replica and had a machine shop straighten the drive shaft, which was rather badly bent.

The motor runs super-smooth. While it does whir fairly loudly I believe it to be very lightly used.

Inside I found the owner's manual, a camel's-hair brush, all the parts for an Edison 2-minute recorder (I put it back together), the crank, the original drive belt neatly broken, a large wad of sheep's wool, and a cardboard clutter which was a box for the original reproducer. I'm not sure if it's the factory one, or a homemade piece.

The top of the machine was sticky with brown dirt--it was wax swarf. Deep in the case I dug up a Victrola needle, so obviously this thing was kept around after a 78rpm machine replaced it. I believe the owners made home recordings and decided to keep the Edison as a way to play them.

It's a time capsule. I have to replace the feet & put a horn on it, and then I'll get you guys pictures.

The serial number of this machine is: H89174. If anyone can date it with this, I'd be very thankful. It would go a long ways to deciding--did The Famous Architect own this machine, or was it not his? He died December of 1903 after a fall from scaffolding, so if it was his, he had little time to enjoy it.

The original cylinder records with this phonograph survive, three large boxes of them. The owner of the machine is very curious about the recorded content, and I am tuning up my Fireside & this Home to go and see what we can find in the crates.

Cool post Charles. Keep us informed. I am very curious as to what is on the records too.

Now at the moment knowing the serial number data for a Home would help...H89174. When would it have been made?

Regardless of who owned it, it's still the way we like to find them--but knowing the original owner would be doubly interesting.

Edison Home No.89174 left the factory in December 1903. Perhaps the archetect's family had more time to enjoy it...

George P.

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:The original cylinder records with this phonograph survive, three large boxes of them. The owner of the machine is very curious about the recorded content, and I am tuning up my Fireside & this Home to go and see what we can find in the crates.

I would probably avoid using a period machine for playback if there are home recordings that could include anyone very special.

Best,

Garret

And thanks to all who responded.

The architect we were wondering about was Cornelius O'Reilly, the great designer and pioneer of self-storage units, General Grant's tomb, and churches. He fought the Tammany Ring, was a generally cool guy, and fell to his death inspecting Our Lady of Lourdes Church on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 142nd, April 29, 1903.

So he likely was aware of the Edison Phonograph, but the machine would have been bought by one of his three sons--the guys who financed the "Stations of the Cross" in St. Patrick's Cathedral.

There is still no telling what is on the records--and Garret, since the machine came with a Model C reproducer, I don't think brown wax is going to be playable. (Still had a near-mint mica diaphragm, which was nice! I dropped it in my Fireside with cygnet horn to test the reproducer after new gaskets and the sound is incredible.)

I will have to put it back together & get some pictures of it. The whole thing is a very nice collection, a time-capsule of what a Victorian-era family entertainment system would have looked like.

Unfortunately my car has started acting up and will need a new gasoline tank before I go a long ways--so I won't be in touch with the owner for a few days. When I do catch up with him we are supposed to inspect the three large boxes of cylinders.


This could be interesting--anyhow, it's the sort of adventure I thrill to. Collecting is a real trip!