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In my ongoing "mad collector" work I am trying to put up a list of UK made Columbia portables (Completed April 5th, 2020), as a first step of also integrating also Columbia US/Japan made portables (only)into the same list. This idea also comes as a result of constantly trying to teach my brain ways to remember the different UK made Columbia portables after reading differenc threads on the forum, and a simple good old fashioned list, may be a good solution, hopefully also for present/future Columbia collectors.
I would like to try to make it a "read only" list this time, no photos, so it can be used as a quick reference for the future. I will also add and delete information over time, as you guys/gals are able to help me correct the list.
Please help me correct the mistakes in the current US list. You can pm me, or write corrections/suggestions as replies to this message, I will then add the updated list both at the start and at the bottom of the thread (since readers often most often visit the end of a long thread), so the newest and most correct list always is appearing to all viewers.
I have after being adviced chosen to incorporate Model name/number, year of launch, country of manufacture, soundbox number, and known available colors to the list.

This is the list as of today, April 5th, 2020. The new US list is added with a blue font color, to separate it from the UK list. I am still working on the big challenge, the Japanese Columbia portable list, and it will also be uploaded soon.

Thank you to epigramophone (Roger), Phono48 (Barry), Oedipus, and Gramophoneshane for advice,corrections and additions to the UK list, without you this list would not have seen the light of day!




Columbia Portable Gramophones manufactured in The United Kingdom, launch year 1924-1946:


Columbia Grafonola Model 10, 1924 (UK), Soundbox No.7, Color: Black

Columbia Grafonola Model 10A, 1925 (UK), Soundbox No.7, Color: Black

Columbia Model 100, 1929-32 (UK), Soundbox No.15B, Colors: Leathercloth: blue, black, red + "Crackle”finish: green, red, blue, brown

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Junior Model 109, 1927 (UK), Soundbox No.8, Colors: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Junior Model 109A, 1929 (UK), Soundbox No.9, Colors: Black

Columbia Grafonola Model 110, 1926 (UK), Soundbox No.8, Colors: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 111A N, 1929 (UK), Soundbox No.9, Colors: Brown leather

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 111A GP, 1929 (UK), Soundbox No.9, Colors: Brown leather

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 112 , 1927 (UK), Soundbox No.8, Colors: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 112A , 1929 (UK), Soundbox No.9, Colors: Black + blue, brown red (all crocodile), (green has been seen)

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 113 , 1928 (UK), Soundbox No.15 (Floating Soundbox), Colors: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 113A , 1929 (UK), Soundbox No.15 (Floating Soundbox), Colors: Blue crocodile

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 201, 1930 (UK), Soundbox No.15A, Colors: Black blue, red

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 202, 1930 (UK), Soundbox No.15A, Colors: Black, blue, red, brown

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 204, 1933 (UK), Soundbox No.15a (Sometimes No. 24 in wartime) Colors: Black, green, blue, red

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 205,1933 (UK), Soundbox No.24, Colors: Black, red

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 206, 1938 (UK), Soundbox No.28/5C, Colors: Black, blue

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 211, 1939 (UK), Soundbox No.24, Colors: Black, blue

Columbia 9000, 1946 (UK), Soundbox No.28, Colors: Black, blue, red, green



Columbia Portable Gramophones/Phonographs manufactured in The United States, launch year 1922-1929


Columbia Portable Grafonola,1922 (USA) Colors: Black

Columbia Harmony Portable Junior, 1928 (USA) Colors: Red, black, brown

Columbia Harmony Portable No.2, 1928 (USA) Colors:?

Columbia Portable Model 118, 1929 (USA) Colors: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 120, 1928 (USA) Colors: Dark brown, black

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 125, 1929 (USA) Colors: Brown, black

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 130, 1928 (USA) Colors: Blue(?), red(?)

New Columbia Portable, Model 140, 1924 (USA) Colors: Black

New Columbia Portable, Model 150, 1926 (USA) Colors:Black

New Columbia Portable, Model 160, 1928 (USA) Colors: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable, Model 161, 1927 (USA) Colors: Gray alligator

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable, Model 162, 1928 (USA) Colors: Black alligator

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable, Model 163, 1929 (USA) Colors: ?

Columbia Viva Tonal Portable, Model 175 (electric motor), 1929 (USA) Colors: Light brown



Columbia Portable Gramophones manufactured in Gemany, launch year 1935:

Columbia Model 208, 1935 (DE), Soundbox No 5B, Colors: Black, blue, red



A few words about the last list. It has proven itself to be an enormous task to try sort out the different portable models manufactured under the Columbia trademark in Japan. It has also turned out to be far more difficult than I would ever have imagined in advance, because some of the Japan Columbia portables has been given the same Model number has some UK Columbia portables, but still look very different from the numerical identical UK model, and first, last and always... It is almost unbelieveable ( to use a mild word) to see the numbers of different portable models manufactured under the Columbia trademark in Japan during the acoustic period of portable gramophones, and when looking deeper into the list, one will quickly also understand that the list at the time of writing this, is far from complete.
The missing numbers speak for themselves, but I have chosen only to index portables that I have seen on photo, photo(s) that also will be included in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=44519, as we move along.

Please don’t hesitate to write comments or pm me if you have a Japanese Columbia portable that is not listed in this index, (or have viewpoints) I will then index it, and please also upload photos of the same gramophone to the thread given above, or pm me the photo, and I will upload the photo myself to the same thread. To avoid losing control of the thread completely, I will not index Columbia portables if there is no evidence proving it’s existence, it means,,a photo showing its Model number and look.

The list will also be improved and extended in the upcoming days, since I already have some model numbers I not yet had the time to integrate into the list. I try to index new model numbers, and at the same time upload photos of the model to the general thread ” The long awaited list of Japanense Columbia gramophones”;( the link given above here in this post), again to try keeping some control of the list.
Welcome to the “show”, and here we go...


Columbia Portable Gramophones/Phonographs manufactured in Japan, launch year 1931-1960 (approximately):


Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 9, (JP), Color Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 21,(JP), Color. Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonolal Model 26, (JP), Color Black/Grey

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 55, (JP), Color: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 56, (JP), Soundbox No. 20, Color: Black, blue

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola. Model 110, (JP), Colors: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 113A, (JP), Color: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 118A ,(JP), Color: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 164, (JP), Colors: Brown

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 200, (JP), Colors: Brown, black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 201, (JP),Colors: Blue/black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 202, (JP), Colors: Black, grey

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 203, (JP), Colors: Blue

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 204, (JP), Colors: Brown, grey

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 205, (JP), Colors/Green/Light brownish

ColumbiaViva Tonal Grafonola Model 206, (JP), Colors. Black/brownish

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 207, (JP), Colors: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 210, 1933 (JP) Colors: Light brown

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 211, (JP), Colors: Black/brownish, green camouflage

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 212, (JP), Color: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 213, (JP), Color: Grey

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 214, (JP), Color: Brown

ColumbiaViva Tonal Grafonola Model 220, (JP), Colors: Brown, blue

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 221, (JP), Color: Grey/brownish

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 222 ,(JP), Color: Grey/brownish

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 230, (JP), Color: Grey

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 250, (JP), Color: Brown

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model 280A, (JP), Color: Grey



Post WW2 Models ( 1945-) ( Starting with the prefix: G-)


Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-40, (JP), Colors: Gray

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model: G-41, (JP), Color Gray

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model: G-45, (JP), Color: Beige/gray

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-46, (JP), Color: Gray camouflage

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-48, (JP), Color: Brown

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-50 (JP), Colors: Yellow camouflage, green

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-51, (JP), Color: Lilac

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-53, (JP), Color: Light grey

ColumbiaViva Tonal Grafonola Model G-55, (JP), Color: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-56, (JP), Color: Black

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-65, (JP), Color: Red

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-70, (JP), Color: Black/dark blue

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-80, (JP), Color: Blue

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-120, (JP),Color: Grey camouflage

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-207, (JP), Color: Brownish

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-208, (JP), Colors: Red, green camouflage, brown

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-209, (JP), Colors: Gray/mint, green camouflage

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonol Model G-241 ( 2 springs), 1951 (JP), Colors: Red ( leatherette motorboard)

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola G-241A ( 2 springs) 1951 (JP), Colors: Red (wooden motorboard)

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-250, (JP), Color: Red

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-260, (JP), Color: Black, yellow

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-270, (JP), Color: Gray camouflage

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model G-271, (JP), Color: Gray

Columbia Viva Tonal Grafonola Model P-501, (JP), Colors: Whitish


Updated: April 13th, 2020


...Can you imagine, this totals around 100 Columbia portables, so far...
AND, if any of you guys/gals have the complete set of Columbia portables, I would like to speak to you.

I've had a 204 in red, and there is a blue 206 on ebay at the moment. I also have a 9000 in green.

Barry

Your list should begin with UK Columbia's first portable, the No.10 of 1924/5 and it's similar successor the No.10a of 1925/6. Black was the only colour.
On both models, opening the lid raised the tonearm into the playing position and simultaneously opened the louvres over the front facing horn mouth.
Time and the ravages of metal fatigue have reduced the numbers surviving. I had a No.10 but cannot now find a picture of it, but I can provide a period advertisement and a recent picture of a No.10a.

So if I understand correctly, you want make a complete list eventually of all the Columbia portables made in UK, USA and Japan, and as the list stands now, you're referencing the type (eg: Viva-Tonal), the year (introduced) and the colours available for each portable, plus you'd like to make the very last post in the thread the complete list once all known models are listed?

If so, my first question would be, will the models be grouped together within the list, according to country of origin, or with they all be listed together in numerical order?

If they are to be listed by numerical order, perhaps the last entry for each model could include maybe UK, US or JP as a reference to country of origin (or different coloured dots or something) for people like me who really don't have much knowledge about these machines.
That way anyone who looks through the list for a particular model will immediately know where it was from along with everything else.

I'm not sure how helpful it would be, but as soundboxes tend to get changed (although not so much on pre-EMI models) the soundbox number could also be included when known.

I also have no idea what the difference is between a 112 and 112A. Perhaps they need to be separated to somehow include a reference to major changes like was the 112 only available in black and the 112A came in 4 colours?
I assume the introduction/production dates of these would be different or overlap?

I'd also question why you would choose the make a list at the end of the tread when you're first post can be edited to include any new model information and any corrections.

Yes Shane, how you describe the list is how I plan to write it, to answer your first question. And yes, the plan is to list them in numerical order when also the US/Japanese portables are added to the list. And yes, I also plan to write UK/USA/JP in brackets when starting to post the full list. I was at first thinking about adding the original soundbox belonging to each portable, even if that is a big task. But really, wanted a feedback to see if this was wanted, and your post is sufficient evidence that this is a good idea:)
I will need help, but I would very much like to add it, since it is vital information, and as you say, original soundboxes seem to be changed over the years.
The reason why I planned to insert the updated list at the end of the thread, is because I believe many viewers skip directly to the last page of a post, when watching a thread, but really, I could very easily keep the updated list both at the start and end of the thread, to ensure that the newest list always is available to all the readers.
As you now will see, I have now also separated the 112 from the 112 A etc, and the color variations alone is a good reason to do exactly that as you rightly point out. If further model separations should be included, please comment on it, or send me a pm.
Thank you for your suggestions, very valuable indeed.

Update April 3rd 2020: Soundboxes added to most UK models (as listed at the time of writing), please correct or add if errors/missing information, thank you.

The earliest advertisements I have seen for Columbia portables are those of summer 1925, showing the 10A, but they do not mention the model number. There is an earlier version, which has a metal (aluminium) case, though covered in black cloth so that it is not instantly apparent, and also a different form of folding winder. You list a Model 10, a number which I have never seen anywhere in contemporary literature but this aluminium model is probably it!

The 10A was followed for 1927 by the 110, which had a No 8 soundbox and a narrow-bore tone-arm. The picture put up by Gramophoneshane looks to me like one of these, but with a No 7 soundbox instead of a no 8! The 110 appeared in the Autumn of 1926, but the 109 and 112 appeared not long after, in the spring of 1927. They likewise had the No 8 soundbox on a small-bore straight tone-arm. Autumn 1928 saw them become 109A and 112A, with Plano-Reflex tone-arms and No 9 soundboxes.

Thank you, Oedipus for adding your information, it has now been implemented in the list.
If no further corrections are advised, I am now lacking only 4 bits of information to complete the Columbia UK list:

1. Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 113 , Launch year?

2. Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 201, Launch Year?,

3. Columbia Viva Tonal Portable Model 202, Launch Year?,

4. Columbia 9000, , Soundbox No.28 ?

I hope someone can help, before I start adding the US/JP portables to the list:)
Thank you.



This is for sure a rough task... While working with the Japanese Columbias I now came across this Model 110. This is not
the UK Columbia Model 110, right? It is making it even more difficult when the Japanese Columbia portables sometimes have the same model numbers as the UK Columbia portables. I upload some photos, just to get a confirmation that this is not the UK model 110. When confirmed the photos will be transferred to the Japanese list. I can't see how this can be a UK 110, since it has a Plano Reflex arm introduced in 1928...

Update: Photos of the Model 110 mentioned in this post have been transferred to the Columbia gramophones made in Japan thread, since it has been confirmed that the 110 pictured was a JP made Columbia: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=44519

Bump...to hopefully get a reply to the last post, before adding the updated list to this part of the thread..

1. The very rare 113 was probably introduced in 1928, as the 1929 catalogue posted elsewhere on this forum shows it's successor the 113a.

2&3. The 201 and 202 were updated versions of the 109a and 112a, both of which were in the 1929 catalogue, so the 201 and 202 were probably introduced in 1930. They both continued in production after the 1931 EMI merger, later acquiring some HMV components.

4. I can add nothing to the information in the Oakley/Proudfoot book which suggests 1946.

As for the elusive No.10, I will contact the collector to whom I sold mine and ask him to let me have some pictures for this thread.

Thank you for this information, Roger.

The answer needed for question number 4 was, what Columbia Soundbox Number was attached to the Columbia 9000?