The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Make: VICTOR TALKING MACHINE COMPANY
Model: VICTOR VICTROLA XVI
Serial #177711
Year(s) Made: 1920
Original Cost: $250
Case/Cabinet Size: 22IN D, 47IN H, 21IN W
Turntable/Mandrel: 10 IN
Reproducer/Sound-Box: NO. 2
Motor: 4 SPRING
Reproduction Parts: NEW FELT
Current Value: $400 ON WEST COAST
Interesting Facts: I bought this cabinet with only the tone arm, reproducer,
and cabinet hardware present. The lid had large splotches of paint and the
cabinet was in bad shape in general. It was my first real restoration project
and I learned a lot and had fun seeing the transformation. One of these days
I will work some more on the cabinet and see if I can brighten it up a bit more.
Special thanks to William Dickens and Jerry Blais for helping to bring this project
to completion.

Favorite Characteristics: The cabinet on this model is a work of art and I really
love the carvings and the color of the red mahogany.

What a beautiful machine, it is wonderful that you were able to bring it back to life!!!! I agree with you about the case being a work of art. It always amazes me how really exquisite the woodwork is done on these old machines. There is nothing that is made today that really matches it unless you are willing to pay for something custom. Thank you for supplying such great pictures, they really show off your Victrola and the great way it now looks.

Boyle6 wrote:What a beautiful machine, it is wonderful that you were able to bring it back to life!!!! I agree with you about the case being a work of art. It always amazes me how really exquisite the woodwork is done on these old machines. There is nothing that is made today that really matches it unless you are willing to pay for something custom. Thank you for supplying such great pictures, they really show off your Victrola and the great way it now looks.

Thanks Boyle6! I agree, any furniture made like this nowadays would
be big $$$. When I first got it, it looked so bad I considered just
parting it out. I am glad I did not make that mistake!

You have a very nice Machine!! Here are some pics of mine. Someone before me refinished as you can see by the pictures. Looked like it might have been a fumed Oak.

Thanks Talkophone, you have a nice machine too. Thanks for posting the pics! The inside of
your lid would indicate the original color which appears to be fumed oak. I always love the
grain on those, it looks nice!

Here's a Golden Oak XVI where the grain is so wild, the decal is almost indecipherable. The digital photo actually cleans it up a bit - - in real life the decal is harder to discern.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:Here's a Golden Oak XVI where the grain is so wild, the decal is almost indecipherable. The digital photo actually cleans it up a bit - - in real life the decal is harder to discern.

George P.

Wow, now that is some serious grain! Gorgeous machine George, thanks for the pic.

Nice job bringing it back to life!

I had an earlier model XVI (the first version following the L-door machines from around 1912) with the triple-spring motor and Exhibition soundbox. It was a nice machine and still had the original record albums and records (mostly Victor Red Seals with the "patents" label).

Sadly, it was destroyed in a house fire, although some of the records, the soundbox, tonearm and the motor survived. I sold the motor and tonearm to another collector so he could restore a machine that had been cannibalized.

AZ* wrote:Nice job bringing it back to life!

I had an earlier model XVI (the first version following the L-door machines from around 1912) with the triple-spring motor and Exhibition soundbox. It was a nice machine and still had the original record albums and records (mostly Victor Red Seals with the "patents" label).

Sadly, it was destroyed in a house fire, although some of the records, the soundbox, tonearm and the motor survived. I sold the motor and tonearm to another collector so he could restore a machine that had been cannibalized.

Thanks! I still need to work on some of the stubborn "alligatoring" but I am happy to see how far it has come. Very sorry to hear about your loss in the fire. Sounds like it was a special machine indeed.

I've always liked the XVI, in all of it's various cabinet styles. I have the same one Antique1973 has with an electric motor and it's another of my "I'll never part with it" machines. I bought mine when I was 15 from a brownstone in downtown Albany, right out of the original owner's living room. It's got all the albums and a universal electric motor. It's in gorgeous condition. They're nice machines. A few years later I found the same machine in fumed oak in a windup version, still have that one too. I've had a couple of L-Doors over the years, but the later XVIs are sentimental to me. Nice machines, guys!

Sean