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Hi. I just found this forum and am hoping to find someone who can help me narrow down a manufacture date for my Thomas Edison cylinder phonograph, Model C, I.C.S. edition. The serial number for this phonograph is #802521. Any help would be much appreciated.

We'll need to see some pics of the machine.

Model C??? Model C What? Standard Model C, Home Model C, Model C Reproducer???

You can see why pics are necessary here...

If you are just reading "Model C" off of the Nickel Plated Reproducer rear weight, That is NOT the Model of the machine..

We'll need some pictures to determine model, price, etc..

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

Hi Roy.

Dates after 1908 are rather difficult to pin down as there seems to be no existing sales data for anything newer. I keep hoping something will turn up. The serial number you give is pretty late for a Standard. Most ICS machines at that time were Model C. The last few ICS machines were Model D with the 4 minute speed blocked-off.

The highest serial number I've yet documented for a Standard is in the 820000s. We know Edison made all outside horn machines obsolete in late 1913. I suspect that they continued to be sold as long as existing stocks lasted - probably into 1914. Most of the last 15000 machines seem to be ICS models and were likely sold cheaply to clear the stock. Sales of the earlier machines dwindled as the company pushed the Diamond Disc and Diamond Amberola models.

Unless specific documentation turns up for a machine of that era (such as a sales slip), we have to rely on educated guesses. I'd guess it would be sometime in late 1912 or early 1913. That's just off of the top of my head. It would certainly be nice to see some photos to document your machine. BTW: welcome to the board!

Martin

Thanks for the replies. I have attached some photos. Hopefully, I did it properly, and you are able to view them. My Edison was purchased by my Great-Grandfather, who was born in 1889. He lived in Watertown, New York at the time of purchase.

Two things since you know the history of the phonograph If it were me I would document all the history you can. It seems to have some known history . Phonographs seem to be more desirable when there is a history especially with receipts, books, or related items .
You have one very nice phonograph and if it is all original, which seems to be, the case you have a keeper. it probably ,as Martinola says, is one of the last produced by Edison. Oil it , change the belt if it is bad, clean it up a little and you have a sweet phonograph. Tom

That looks like the drive belt is all original--just like everything else. That top works is clean enough to eat from. Nice old Model C ICS machine!

Thanks for the info and compliments! Yes, this Edison is 100% original, including the belt. My great-grandfather passed away in 1980....the Edison was then passed down to my father. He had it stored away until about 5 years ago, when he gave it to me. I'm quite a music lover/historian, so having a family item like this is pretty fantastic. I don't know anything yet about operating it. And I don't have any cylinders yet. That is my next hurdle....trying to figure if it is in operating condition, or if it needs some attention to get it working properly. Any tips or advice would be welcome....

A point which I have often wondered about, and which would of course be important to Roy if he were to acquire any commercial cylinders: – Can these I.C.S. machines, whose default speed was 90 r.p.m., be adjusted to run as fast as 160?

Oliver Mundy.