The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I just returned yesterday from California where we toured the Winchester Mystery House. All the original furnishings were sold off after Sarah Winchester died, but the antiques displayed in the house were really beautiful. I saw only two antique phonographs. I couldn't get close to the first one, but the second one was a table top HMV with an orthophonic tone arm. I would like to think that a woman as wealthy as Sarah would have owned much more expensive and interesting phonographs. I hope that someone in California will one day donate a fine display machine to the Winchester Mystery House for the thousands of visitors touring the mansion as I did.
https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/

The first machine pictured has something of the Crapophone about it. As well as the shiny brass horn, I think I see the usual fake HMV transfer on the case.

The second machine is an HMV Model 103 in Mahogany, catalogued from late 1925 to 1930. The lobed cam lid stay dates this example to no later than 1927.

I was at the Winchester Mystery House in 2002 when I went to the CAPS show. I only saw the HMV model. The crap-o-phone wasn't there, at that time. Since the original antiques were sold after Mrs. Winchester died, I wonder what the original phonograph looked like.
Harvey Kravitz.

The HMV 103 does not have an Orthophonic tonearm. It has a narrow-bore swan neck tonearm and HMV #4 soundbox like other HMV #4 equipped machines of this period. It also has a longer horn than similar looking Victor table-top machines such as the VV-VIII.