The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I seem to remember reading somewhere on here that these are quite sought after ?

I assume that this is a Jehovah's Witness gramophone - I may be wrong.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-wood ... SwF3BebNA7

I have never seen an outside horn Watchtower (Jehovah's Witness) phonograph, only the "close & play" portables. If this is real and not just a phono someone tacked a Watchtower tag on, it is very scarce.

colmike1 wrote:I have never seen an outside horn Watchtower (Jehovah's Witness) phonograph, only the "close & play" portables. If this is real and not just a phono someone tacked a Watchtower tag on, it is very scarce.

Interesting. Also, (to me) it seems like a nice gramophone in it's own right. I am no expert of course so could be wrong, but I wouldn't mind this in my little gramophone collection.

I am only 'thinking out loud here'. I wonder. Does the polyphone plate look a bit out of place where it is ? What used to be to the left of the 'Watchtower' plate - something else stuck there once ? Should the turntable be 'round edged' ?

The speed control, winding handle and possibly the turntable are from a Columbia portable (why else does the winding handle fold, when there is nowhere for it to go?) The turntable should not be round-edged, which suggests that the motor has also been replaced, possibly from the same machine that the other bits came from. Don't you just love that flimsy cut-out "Polyphone" trademark crudely tacked onto the wooden moulding? Frankenphone, without a doubt!

Phono48 wrote:The speed control, winding handle and possibly the turntable are from a Columbia portable (why else does the winding handle fold, when there is nowhere for it to go?) The turntable should not be round-edged, which suggests that the motor has also been replaced, possibly from the same machine that the other bits came from. Don't you just love that flimsy cut-out "Polyphone" trademark crudely tacked onto the wooden moulding? Frankenphone, without a doubt!

Ahh. Very good to have your considered opinion Phono48.

Based on everything I've read about it, the Jehovah's Witnesses did not start using gramophones/phonographs to "spread the word" until the mid-1930s.

Here's a piece about it: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b7/1c/b6 ... 8881f2.jpg

The first style phonograph was a conventional model, while the second style required the lid to be closed while playing the record, and was more resistant to damage from irate "potential converts" who didn't appreciate having to listen to a prerecorded spreading of the word, or so the legend goes....

OrthoFan

It's completely made up as evidenced by the use of the Columbia Portable motor used in its construction , there are no other witness marks on the base to suggest the motor was added later , ipso facto it is a fake !

Thanks Orthofan and Soundgen.

That's a shame though as I thought it looked 'kind of neat'. Best to know these things before buying though (not that I am on ebay yet) - so great information as always. I have learnt so much on here.

Oh, I wonder what Soundgen meant by 'there are no other witness marks on the base' ?

"Oh, I wonder what Soundgen meant by 'there are no other witness marks on the base' ?"

Jehovah's "Witness" didn't leave fingerprints or DNA, he probably wore gloves when he made this...