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Orchorsol wrote: Sat Jan 20, 2024 8:04 am Others with more knowledge of HMV portables will confirm or otherwise, but it looks to me kike an ordinary Model 97.

epigramophone wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 4:31 am The brown turntable felt and the No.23 soundbox identify this 97 as a wartime model.
Materials and components were in short supply, so HMV used whatever they had.
Pre-war 97's had the No.21 soundbox, and coloured versions had matching turntable felt.
This "Wreck of an old 97" (forgive me Vernon Dalhart) is located in Somerset, but I won't be rushing to purchase it.

poodling around wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 10:54 am

epigramophone wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 4:31 am The brown turntable felt and the No.23 soundbox identify this 97 as a wartime model.
Materials and components were in short supply, so HMV used whatever they had.
Pre-war 97's had the No.21 soundbox, and coloured versions had matching turntable felt.
This "Wreck of an old 97" (forgive me Vernon Dalhart) is located in Somerset, but I won't be rushing to purchase it.

Very interesting indeed eigramophone.

I know very little about Japanese portable gramophones but wonder - is the winding handle typical of Japanese models - the shape of the ends - the flatish plastic bit on one end and the non-screw 'slot' type which winds the motor on the other ?

Steve wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 12:12 pm

poodling around wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 10:54 am

epigramophone wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 4:31 am The brown turntable felt and the No.23 soundbox identify this 97 as a wartime model.
Materials and components were in short supply, so HMV used whatever they had.
Pre-war 97's had the No.21 soundbox, and coloured versions had matching turntable felt.
This "Wreck of an old 97" (forgive me Vernon Dalhart) is located in Somerset, but I won't be rushing to purchase it.

Very interesting indeed eigramophone.

I know very little about Japanese portable gramophones but wonder - is the winding handle typical of Japanese models - the shape of the ends - the flatish plastic bit on one end and the non-screw 'slot' type which winds the motor on the other ?

I'm not sure where you're getting the Japanese link from? As others have said it's a bog standard 97, albeit in tatty condition. It's not Japanese or even Japanese influenced.

epigramophone wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 1:20 pm UK Columbia acquired the Nipponophone company and their Japanese factory in 1927, and manufactured gramophones there well into the EMI (post 1931) era.
HMV and Victor had a reciprocal agreement whereby neither would operate in the other's territory. Japan was in Victor's territory, which is why there are no Japanese HMV machines.