The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Some of you may remember I had volunteered to contact Brunswick to see if they had a(n) historian who might be able to provide us with machine model number/manufacture date information. Suffice it to say, I struck out in the first inning. I will, however, keep searching.

I am copying the text (which is short and to the point) of their response below:

We regret to inform you that there is no compiled database that we know of
covering Brunswick phonographs. We are sorry we have no additional
information that we can provide.

Joan Ledanski
Administrative Projects Manager
Brunswick Billiards

Disappointing, but I suppose not surprising.

From what I read Brunswick sold off it's record division in 1930 and probably got rid of the archives around then.

I think your best bet would be to ask for copies of machine catalogs and compile a listing of what Brunswick offered over the years. It would be an ambitious project because Brunswick offered machines for quite a few years well into the Orthophonic era.

Didn't Brunswick kind of back into the talking machine industry? I've read somewhere that Brunswick made cabinets for Edison and when a large number were rejected, they were forced to place a mechanism into the cabinets or face a huge loss. I believe the company prospered and became the fourth largest manufacture in the talking machine field.

It's just my opinion but there seems to be only minimal interest in Brunswick machines. They made good quality machines with quite motors but were not too innovative in the industry. I like the big fancy ones like the one you recently purchased. I own a little table model (similar to a VV-IX) with a factory painted and oriental decorated finish. I also owned an upright with a oriental finish with I wish I had not sold.

Happy collecting, Jerry Blais

I would think that most paper records were lost, through the sale to Warner & subsequent sales to ARC or Columbia or whomever. Orphans in the storm.

Jerry B. wrote:I think your best bet would be to ask for copies of machine catalogs and compile a listing of what Brunswick offered over the years. It would be an ambitious project because Brunswick offered machines for quite a few years well into the Orthophonic era.

Didn't Brunswick kind of back into the talking machine industry? I've read somewhere that Brunswick made cabinets for Edison and when a large number were rejected, they were forced to place a mechanism into the cabinets or face a huge loss. I believe the company prospered and became the fourth largest manufacture in the talking machine field.

It's just my opinion but there seems to be only minimal interest in Brunswick machines. They made good quality machines with quite motors but were not too innovative in the industry. I like the big fancy ones like the one you recently purchased. I own a little table model (similar to a VV-IX) with a factory painted and oriental decorated finish. I also owned an upright with a oriental finish with I wish I had not sold.

Happy collecting, Jerry Blais

I think they were quite innovative. They must have been one of the first ones to realize a larger diaphragm would produce a wider more solid tone response? Plus the ability to play all three types of records on one arm.. And as you say, the motors are of incredible quality and make most victors seem like toys in comparison. I have never had a poor running or sounding brunswick, but nearly every victor including the large orthophonic models had noisy sounding governors and rumbling motors. I don't know what they did to produce a quality lubrication, but I have never had much trouble with a sticking spring barrel in a brunswick where the victors are often left needing cleaning and re-greasing. I also like the silent lid supports which don't require any handling to lower, just push the lid. Overall I think they are tops in most features including sound.

Larry