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Unidentified Pathé phonograph

Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 11:21 am
by phonodesbois
I found an incomplete Pathé machine and I didn't succeed to identify which model it is...
The machine is incomplete, I'm not sure the wood case is the good one and, anyway, the moldings are not original.
I found a pic of a quite similar model, also unidentified (at the bottom on pic B). At least, I know what is missing...
Instead of the usual reproducer connector, there is a weird piece which could be a part of an incomplete floating horn adapter (?).
Any idea ?
Thanks.
Jeff

Re: Unidentified Pathé phonograph

Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 11:46 am
by PeterF
There needs to be a book, perhaps titled Look For The Rooster, to solve such problems. The wide variety of Pathé machines (and of their configurations) is maddening.

A lot of them are really interesting and work fine, with other models that are only slightly different and work just as well also found. The variation would seem to be a bad business model, with so much new tooling required for each change - unless those changes represent cost savings.

A lot of the cylinder machines are improved copies of US Columbia models, made with improvements in materials and design.

Re: Unidentified Pathé phonograph

Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 4:13 pm
by GeorgeDixon
It appears to have been modified.
The arm is for a horn and similar to that of a Phenix phonograph.
http://www.noedison.com/phenix.shtml

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ ... 3778378670

Re: Unidentified Pathé phonograph

Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 5:14 pm
by jamiegramo
Hi Jeff,

Always interesting to see these machines, thanks for posting. This appears to be a ‘Le Francais’ as listed in the Pathé 1903 catalogue. This has the same piece of distinctively shaped metal that the reproducer slides along and is missing from your machine in the earlier photos.

This scan isn’t too good. Not sure what Columbia would have felt about this being described as ‘Graphophone’.

Jamie

Re: Unidentified Pathé phonograph

Posted: Sun May 22, 2022 9:56 am
by phonodesbois
Thanks Jamie, you’re right!
“Le Français” is also mentionned on JP Agnard web site.
( http://www3.sympatico.ca/jean-paul.agna ... ancais.htm )
When I found this machine, it also had a Salon mandrel and I'm pretty sure there is enough space to mount a Salon cylinder but, playing it would require a floating horn so, maybe, the small piece on the last pic was part of an Orpheus attachment.
I hope the weather is colder where you live; in my place (altitude 850m), the temperature is well above 30 degrees...
Keep cool and cold!
Thanks all, Jeff