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Hi

Is it safe to say that this period Victrola "model" is one-of-a-kind? Perhaps made for someone with deep pockets?

Allen
ps. The Edison Talking Automaton (1893) is now at the printers. Be sure your Subscription to AP is up to date so that you can read all about it (Mar 2023) at the Chicago World's Fair.

Hi Allen,

This is just a trick of the camera lens, and the photo you show has been altered a bit from the original. Here is the original photo (from a glass negative) before being recently corrected for distortion in one direction. The Victrola pictured is just a stock VV-XVI.

Sorry,
Bob

Distortion aside, it looks like a custom unit made for a yacht.

James.

Roaring20s wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:25 pm Distortion aside, it looks like a custom unit made for a yacht.

James.

Agreed, The height of the record compartment and the carvings at the bottoms of the corner 'legs'; it is not a stock VV-XVI, though the design is derived from the XVI.

Cameras can do wacky things. Here are unintentionally distorted pics taken in a friend's home. Check out the extra-wide mahogany L-Door XVI and the stretched oak XVI at left, and the normal appearing XVII and XVIII at right in one pic. In the other pic, the oak Edison C-19 looks a tad bit wonky.

I would agree that it appears to be lens distortion. Here's a crudely adjusted image to compensate. It looks more realistic to me.

That looks better adjusted taller.
Maybe the bench seats are a bit higher off the floor than I expected, in relation to the top of the record storage area.

James.

Wes K wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:56 pm

Roaring20s wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:25 pm Distortion aside, it looks like a custom unit made for a yacht.

James.

Agreed, The height of the record compartment and the carvings at the bottoms of the corner 'legs'; it is not a stock VV-XVI, though the design is derived from the XVI.

I will throw in my 2 cents and agree as well. The carving on the side posts is far too elaborate, and as pointed out continues at the bottom near the "legs". Also, as can be seen, the machine has no legs at all. Definitely not a "stock" XVI.
Does anyone know the origin of the photo? Where and when it was taken? It sure looks like the interior of an old yacht to my eyes.

Steve

Very astute observations, guys. The Victrola in question was installed on the Vanderbilt Yacht ("Valiant"?)!

Allen

AllenKoe wrote: Sat Feb 04, 2023 12:51 pm Very astute observations, guys. The Victrola in question was installed on the Vanderbilt Yacht ("Valiant"?)!

Allen

Very cool Allen. Do you know if the machine has survived?

Steve