The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello Everyone

I purchased a small Pathéphone #2 Gramophone (see attached Pictures) many years ago. The machine is in beautiful condition but unfortunately it came with a "make-do" crank.
A friend of mine is a retired machinist and has offered to make me one but requires a picture and complete dimensions. I purchased a reproduction Edison slotted crank and it looked very similar to the original but the dimension of the shaft was too large to fit through the escutcheon. I am a bit of a nut when it comes to originality and never alter a machine if at all possible but the current crank is a poor make-do. Can anyone help with a picture and dimensions???

Thanks
Steve

Attached a pic of some Pathéphone cranks. I have some Pathéphone machines but not anymore the number 2. As far as I remember the Pathéphone 2 wood cases were more basic but Pathé was so creative!
I’m not sure that the horn and elbow are the original ones. Nevertheless, it’s a nice case.

Thanks but these appear to be from a larger Pathé machine, The Pathéphone #2 is a little guy.

Hello Steve.

I think Pathé machines are very interesting. I have a Modele B which I bought on France eBay several years ago and recently I made a winder for it during lockdown, similar to the straight one shown in Jeff's message.
I have looked up various items and found a picture from 1914 Pathéphone Catalogue and a uTube video #4 Pathéphone No. 2*, both seem to show a different case to yours. You may like to look these up and hopefully give you more information regarding your specific crank.
* this guy has a site in France as MICALLEF PHONOGRAPHES, He may be able to help.

The case is not of a Pathéphone 2. Although hard to discern in the photos, the parts look from an modele B, which is a small machine that preceded the pathéphone line. Since the case is not Pathé, I presume authenticity is not a major concern, so any crank that fits will be ok.

A real mystery to me, included new pictures of the decal on the top of my machine and also found a picture of a Model G that looks similar to the Model 2 in the advertisement.
Wondering if it is possible that Pathé was just using parts that were kicking around to get rid of them when the internal horn machines were introduced.
Sounds far fetched but my Dad purchased a 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air brand new (last of the 6 volt GM cars) it included every high end option available at the time.
Found out later that GM used Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick 6 volt options on his car just to use them up before the 12 volt was introduced in Canada in 1955.
Always complained that the car was nothing but trouble, every time he took it in for service they told him the defective part was from something other than Chevrolet.
Back in 1954 the GM warranty on most components was 90 days so after 7 years of frustration he sent it to the wreckers!

The Modele G was a re-badged D which was one of the earliest disc machines from 1906-1909. There is no correlation between a D / G and a later "No. 2" which comes from the second range of machines from 1909 onwards.

The no. 2 shown in the pictures is certainly not a French Pathéphone and the horn and elbow are non original replacements. My guess is that the no. 2 shown is a "foreign" no. 2 but the winding handle should be similar to a standard type.

I do agree with what Brian, CarlosV and Steve said.
I think that the wood case was not made by Pathé (neither for the local market nor for foreign market). I also don’t believe that this was made under license by a third party as it did not have the mention “Diamond licence Pathé”.
My guess: a wood case from a foreign manufacturer (Swiss? German?). I’m pretty sure I saw a similar one but I don’t remember which machine it was.
It would be interesting to have a pic of the motor and as well of the top without the platter.

As requested here are a few more pictures showing the motor and the top of the machine minus the platter.
Had machine serviced a few years back, a few screws and rubber mounting grommets replaced.
Thanks
Steve

Well, it’s getting weird…
The motor looks ok. The label is not at the usual place and could be in Cyrillic characters (?).
The large bolts to support the back bracket are not usual and look like “embedded’ in the wood.
So, is it a Pathé special model for a country from Eastern Europe or Pathé hardware mounted in a locally made or reused wood case?
I just don’t know