The Strange Case of S36192

[martinola]

While perusing eBay the other day I ran across a rather interesting oddity.

( I had asked the seller for permission to use his photos, but since I got no response here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... MEWAX%3AIT )

I saw some photos of what seemed to be a Standard model A (4 clip) with a later model A bedplate of about 1904-05 vintage (the kind with 3 mounting holes). I was about to dismiss it as just another “Frankenphone” (machine made up of odd parts) when I happened to look at the close-up photo of the newer style patent plate. It showed very clearly the serial number S36192. It was obviously a factory stamping and also quite old. In looking at the data sheet I've got, the number would be correct for a 4 clip machine. The machine had the typical early style reproducer carrier-arm with the shaver and reproducer clips. After a few moments, a version of how this came to be popped into my head. Imagine, if you will:

A customer buys a 4 clip Standard in, say, 1900 and happily uses it for the next four years. Suddenly, while winding it, the motor gives a sickening thump and the spring releases in the barrel. Disaster! Heartbroken, the owner takes it to his Edison dealer and insists that it must be repaired. The dealer tries to sell the owner another machine, but the owner won’t hear of it. “If the company won’t stand behind its product then why should I buy another one?” is the argument that comes to mind. The dealer, to save the situation, agrees to send it off to the factory for repairs.

A few weeks later, the repairman at the factory looks over the old machine. Spring broken, perhaps one or more of the soft brass gears stripped; a real mess. Since the factory is out of the early style motor parts and since none of the early style motor parts are interchangeable with the new ones, the repairman simply swaps out the bedplate, motor and all, with the newer version. To keep everything on the “up and up”, he takes a new blank patents plate and stamps it with the original serial number.

A few weeks after that, the owner happily receives his repaired machine and marvels over the extra power the new motor has. The dealer is relieved and tries to sell his customer some more records.

Does this sound plausible? It seems to fit the timeline. I thought this might be a good illustration of why we should be slow to judge or “part-out” (or swap parts) on an old machine. Every time this happens, we potentially lose the history of a machine that is hidden in its details. I nearly dismissed S36192 as a hodge-podge of different parts. It took a while before the details popped-out. This isn’t to say that a machine should never be repaired, refinished or even parted-out. Rather, we should take our time, document and study it so that it can tell its own story in its own time.

Hopefully, the new owner will keep this example together as-is. Happy hunting!

- Martin

[phonogfp]

Martin,

I can't imagine any other situation where a Standard mechanism of 1905 vintage should be carrying a serial number from 1900-01. I only wonder why the machine would have been sent back to the factory for repairs that should have been something a dealer or jobber could have performed. Perhaps a cracked bedplate? A simple broken spring doesn't seem to warrant factory involvement like this. Interesting!

By the way, I believe photos on eBay are fair game for re-posting elsewhere (public domain?). I'd go ahead and use them.

George P.

[martinola]

Hi George!
I'd veered away from disaster with the bedplate only because I thought it might have also messed-up the carriage. I thought damage to the gear cluster would also warrant bedplate replacement since they did away with that design in 1901. (I suppose, since I'm making up the whole scenario, I could bring in TAE to personally handle it ) Seriously, perhaps the factory sent out the replacement bedplate to the dealer already prepped with the serial number. Anyway, thanks for the input.
-Martin

[phonogfp]

Thanks for sharing this curious example of a machine that doesn't seem to make sense at first blush. I suspect you're pretty close to the actual scenario (except I'll bet that Mina tried to fix this in the kitchen of Glenmont! ).

George P.