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Hi everyone,
I just wanted to share the images of this Nicole Standard phonograph with you. Do any of you know it?
Best,
Enrico

Wonderful machine. Thanks for sharing.

Jerry B.

Haven't seen one of those before, thanks for posting.

I have also another machine same brand in my collection.

That is seriously cool. Never seen one before either. I have a Nicole Record which I believe was the same brand as this player. Here's a picture of my disc, which dates to 1903. Interestingly they were made using a cardboard core with the celluloid on top which has the music put into it. They feel very lightweight and fragile. I wonder if the Nicole machine soundbox was different and made playing them less damaging? The sound quality of the discs is also pretty bad, and I wonder if the discs would have sounded better on a machine of the same brand.

And that configuration of the needlebar... It seems to be attached to the top of the sb casing by means of a prong at the diaphragm center, with a screw set whose mission seems to be that of tensioning the needlebar, thus limiting vibrations at the desired rate. A curious attachment for tuning it. Am I wrong? Is there any instruction booklet explaining how to adjust this?

The first machine I think is based on a Symphonion machine. One was sold in the UK at the Powick show a few years ago.

The second machine is essentially a French Zonophone

Sidewinder wrote:The first machine I think is based on a Symphonion machine. One was sold in the UK at the Powick show a few years ago.

The second machine is essentially a French Zonophone

I agree with you. The second machine is almost identical to a Zonophone model that I saw on a book by a Catalan collector. The first, however, seems to me similar to a Columbia. It has many similar elements and the crank is practically a Columbia crank. Some elements of the front arm are also similar to a Columbia AJ.

Enrico wrote:

Sidewinder wrote:The first machine I think is based on a Symphonion machine. One was sold in the UK at the Powick show a few years ago.

The second machine is essentially a French Zonophone

I agree with you. The second machine is almost identical to a Zonophone model that I saw on a book by a Catalan collector. The first, however, seems to me similar to a Columbia. It has many similar elements and the crank is practically a Columbia crank. Some elements of the front arm are also similar to a Columbia AJ.

I agree with the Columbia assumption on the Nicole. Remember that Columbia also had USA client machines branded as "Standard". It does look quite "AJ"- like.

Nicole Frères were among the first wholesalers in the UK to offer gramophones to the trade. They began with Zonophone machines in December 1900 and Symphonion, who were the main promoters of Zonophone products, appointed Nicole as sole distributing agents in October 1901. Zonophone, Symphonion and Polyphon all supplied Nicole Frères with machines bearing the Nicole name.

There are at least two types of soundbox known to have been marketed by Nicole, the Nicole Master and the Nicole Standard.