The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I just picked up this unusual but beautiful 1920 L'Artiste Model 13 phonograph. I've never heard of this company and was able to find limited information about it. The brake mechanism is unusual and the cabinetry is beautiful. It has great presence as a console type. Does anyone have any additional information about this machine?

Thanks!

AR

What a beauty! The tonearm and soundbox are very interesting...
That graduated dial at the lower left corner is related to setting the auto-brake position?

I still have to tinker with the machine to figure its intrcacies.

AR

What a fabulous model. Congratulations!

A little about the L'Artiste:
Trade publications contained information and news items about the L'Artiste from May 1919 to November 1921. They were manufactured by the Grand Rapids Phonograph Co. which took over the factory of the Grand Rapids School Equipment Co., the estimated annual output of production was 50,000 machines.
They made period design consoles and uprights in walnut, oak and mahogany. The machines featured an all-wood amplifier, 'modulator' for tone strength, and the Meisselbach motor.
Your Model 13 was priced at $400 (late 1920-early 1921).
There was a lot of newspaper and magazine advertising from distributors in the Eastern United States.
One interesting item about the L'Artiste in The Talking Machine World, October 1920, tells of a console model, in walnut veneer, which resembles an owl's face on each door panel.
Here is an advertisement showing several models:

I appreciate the information from the trade publications and news items and the ad. Those are a great reference!

Baed on the ID Plate, it looks like the company didn't make a lot of this model.

AR

That looks great!!!!! Congrats.

striking cabinet that appears to be extremely well preserved. Congrats on this nice find!

Inigo, yes the dial on the lower left corner is to adjust the automatic brake. You set it by placing the needle at the end of the record and then moving the dial to to where the long lever touches the edge of the thumb screw head on the foot of the tonearm lever. Notice the screw is slightly angled to the left to insure contact with the long lever. I tried it with a record and the dial ended up on the 7 setting. This auto brake mechanism is so cool and just brilliant!!

The reproducer appears to be a re-branded Fletcher.

JohnM wrote: Sat Apr 16, 2022 11:37 pm The reproducer appears to be a re-branded Fletcher.

I was just going to say the same thing because the Canadian company, McLagan, used Fletcher reproducers, which were octagonal as here but which used round diaphragms.

Very pretty machine!

From: http://keithwright.ca/CAPP/McLagan/McLagan.html