The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Wondering if there was ever a connection between the Lindstrom/ Parlophon concern and the HMV conglomerate (Stimme seines Herrn, DGG etc.) Did they ever supply parts for Lindstrom/ Parlophon machines?

Thanks for any info.

Lindstrom was taken over by Columbia and thus became part of EMI in 1931. But after WW1, Deutsche Grammophon were separate from HMV, and were never part of EMI.

gramophone-georg wrote: Tue May 18, 2021 9:18 pm Wondering if there was ever a connection between the Lindstrom/ Parlophon concern and the HMV conglomerate (Stimme seines Herrn, DGG etc.) Did they ever supply parts for Lindstrom/ Parlophon machines?

Thanks for any info.

I have been told that as WW1 came about Lindstrom and The Gramophone company swapped assets to avoid confiscation as enemy property , thus Lindstrom acquired Deutsche Grammophon and The Gramophone company acquired assets in the UK

Oedipus wrote: Wed May 19, 2021 9:28 am Lindstrom was taken over by Columbia and thus became part of EMI in 1931. But after WW1, Deutsche Grammophon were separate from HMV, and were never part of EMI.

Right- I knew about that, but it is too late for the machine in question.

soundgen wrote: Wed May 19, 2021 4:17 pm

gramophone-georg wrote: Tue May 18, 2021 9:18 pm Wondering if there was ever a connection between the Lindstrom/ Parlophon concern and the HMV conglomerate (Stimme seines Herrn, DGG etc.) Did they ever supply parts for Lindstrom/ Parlophon machines?

Thanks for any info.

I have been told that as WW1 came about Lindstrom and The Gramophone company swapped assets to avoid confiscation as enemy property , thus Lindstrom acquired Deutsche Grammophon and The Gramophone company acquired assets in the UK

A scenario like this is precisely what I am wondering about for a machine that's in my possession. This machine is an oddball to begin with. It's a version of the "big Parlophon" shown in Daniel Marty's book.



On the version I have, the cabinet is elongated rather than square, the turntable rim and other hardware matches the back bracket/ arm assembly, it has the "fat" Victrola type U-tube arm (but inverted), it has an HMV/ Victor style circular speed control, and it has the huge Victor/ HMV 4 spring motor.

The needle is about 19mm "short" of the spindle, consistent with other European machines, but that could be because of the orientation of the Goldring "Aristocrat" sound box I have on it. It came with a "Xylophone" soundbox on which the needle can be oriented such that it very nearly hits the spindle. I prefer the Aristocrat's sound quality, though.

I will get some pics in a bit when I have time.

soundgen wrote: Wed May 19, 2021 4:17 pm

gramophone-georg wrote: Tue May 18, 2021 9:18 pm Wondering if there was ever a connection between the Lindstrom/ Parlophon concern and the HMV conglomerate (Stimme seines Herrn, DGG etc.) Did they ever supply parts for Lindstrom/ Parlophon machines?

Thanks for any info.

I have been told that as WW1 came about Lindstrom and The Gramophone company swapped assets to avoid confiscation as enemy property , thus Lindstrom acquired Deutsche Grammophon and The Gramophone company acquired assets in the UK

You were misinformed.
On 26 November 1916 the German Government issued an order for the liquidation of the property owned by The Gramophone Company in Germany, and for the shares in the DGAG to be sold by public auction.
On 21 April 1917 the DGAG was sold by public tender to Polyphon, who also took control of all the original and working matrices at Hanover. The Gramophone Company never regained control of the DGAG.
The Lindstrom Group's assets in the UK were seized as enemy property, and some of them were acquired by Columbia. That is why we see some of John McCormack's Odeon recordings reissued on the Columbia and Regal labels.

Interesting. I knew of the later acquisition by Columbia, in 1926.....? And I wondered why my Columbia records of John McCormack Odeon recordings looked so old, frankly before 1926. Here's the explanation!

Finally- here's the machine in question. There's a lengthy backstory as to why I HAD to have this machine that I don't have time to type out right now. You can see the HMV/ Victor influence here, and as I stated previously, the machine has a huge 4 spring motor identical to the HMV 32 machine and higher- end Victrolas.

It is massively overbuilt and heavy. The motor runs whisper- quiet, and the sound is incredibly good, even compared to a Viva Tonal or Orthophonic machine. the Goldring Aristocrat really works well aurally with this machine. The horn opening is a very good size... 58,4 cm or just over 23". There are no re-drills or anything amiss on the cabinet to indicate any remotoring. I am wondering if these were hand built machines, as the only two others I have ever seen are the one in the Marty book (which sold at auction recently) and the one in my grandparents' attic when I was a wee lad that got me started on windup machines.

EDIT: Got bit by the "random orientation bug" again. Click on the pics and they should revert to right side up!

Holy Art Nouveau, Batman!

- Bill

Banus Banus comes to mind !

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=31878&p=189823&hil ... us#p189823