The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

While rummaging through some boxes at an estate sale, we found this period photo of the interior of an older home (not the one at the estate sale). We thought it would be worth sharing.

PS, Comments welcome.

I'm always on the lookout for these types of photos...nice find indeed. You never know where they'll turn up.

And look at that nice, shiny mahogany finish! Not many survive looking like that.

George P.

That is a great find and a wonderful photograph. Thanks for sharing! Steve L.

In a place of prominence too. I wonder what happened to that once luxurious Victrola.

Thanks for sharing.

Yes its quite a time piece so to speak.. The other furniture is really very severe looking but unusual especially that chair up front. With very little sound deadening drapes or furniture I bet it was almost too loud for the setting. Be interesting to see what it looks like now if it survived. I purchased my first Victor which was a 400 console in the early 60s. It was traded in for a newer phonograph to the department store I worked at for a while. It was like new and held up very well. I fear a lot of them were simply disposed of when more modern styles were introduced with electric. My Great Grandfathers home had a wonderful Edison 250 Chippendale with drawers which his daughter had put into the basement evidently when Radio became popular. The would have purchased it to upgrade from a Victor 1 which I got but foolishly got rid of due to the short duration of the spring and the small horn.. (I know just what many collectors want).. I was very little in the mid 40's and the Edison had long since been relegated to the basement which had old stones and a dirt floor. I always wanted it but one day a few years latter it disappeared and the daughter, my great Aunt, said they tossed it in the large ravine out behind the barn. I looked and looked but no sign of it. I have a feeling some antique dealer came around an ask if they had any old junk they wanted to get rid of.. That happened with my grandmother as well, she gave a lot of now collectables to a fellow who convinced her to dispose of some things for him.

I'm in love with the interior design in that room: simple, elegant, timeless.

The chairs look comfortable but not so padded as to clutter the room, and the stained-glass lampshade ought to have been striking when lighted up.