The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I saw on EBay a copy of Ernest Shackleton'speech,"My South Polar Expedition "on wax Amberol. Unfortunately, it has a crack in it. My late friend Arthur Pare had a copy of this.The man who bought the record was afraid to play it so Arthur enclosed a cassette tape of it along with the record.So far,the copy on EBay has had 6 bids.edisonplayer

I was lucky enough to find this same cylinder in a lot of 500 cylinders a friend and I bought 20 years ago. These cylinders hadn't been looked at in years, as evidenced by the newspaper it was packed in--no later than mid 1950's. I was so shocked when I found it--original box and top and in excellent condition! I couldn't put it down quick enough, and I couldn't sell it quick enough! I love 4 min wax, as long as it is not rare!! I, like so many others here, have experienced just taking a cylinder out of a box and have it crack or even crumble in our hands!

My friend put the cylinder on ebay, eventually, and we sold it for $1500. Yes--$1500. I was so nervous the whole time we had it in our possession, as I was worried about it cracking or getting cracked in shipment. I don't think a mint copy of it would fetch that anymore, but it is still a very desirable cylinder. I'm happy to see the Vulcan has reproduced it in non-wax! I plan on getting that one, as I would never want to own, or at least keep, another copy of the cylinder--unless it was damaged!

Mike Sorter
Riverside, CA

Interesting. I have the same cylinder, and mine is also cracked, though not as wickedly as the one on eBay.

Got mine in a box of maybe 75, unplayed, dealer stock wax Amberols. The Shackleton cylinder was the only one with damage

Link to the eBay sale: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ernest-Shackle ... SwTepfTuLA

Quote from the listing's description: "the cylinder itself is cracked, which does not matter as collectors never play them!"

Anyone able to transfer a good copy on to reproduction cylinders would probably find that they sold well.

Important fragile cylinder that deserved re-issuing

Vulcan Cylinder Record Co Historic Voices

https://www.vulcanrecords.com/shop/famo ... hackleton/

The Vulcan reproduction would be a good one to get No worries about it cracking on you.edisonplayer

Just purchased one from Vulcan can't wait to listen to it on a snowy Canadian night this winter.

Kevan

Several years ago, I made a 100 threads per inch at 80 rpm,copy of this cylinder for someone on a special black wax recording blank formula, I made, engraved the title in the end, and made it look like a wax Amberol for all intended purposes. It was so odd, I took a picture of it.

One would think that the Amberol cylinder #473 was so important that it would have been made in blue Amberol also. Any one know why it wasn't?

Kevan