The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello everyone,

I came across this phongraph which appears to be sold in Spain but seems to be of France manufacture/design.

I found it on the internet, it's not mine.. could someone provide more insights?

Thank you all!

This looks like someone's steampunk art, not an authentic phono.

grampaphone wrote: Thu Jun 27, 2024 9:43 am This looks like someone's steampunk art, not an authentic phono.

I disagree. The casting looks aged, substantial, and purpose made. There are many examples of early craftsmen phonographs that are crude in comparison to later commercial machines, but are legitimate. That being said I have no more info to give besides what is said on the plaque

the only thing that confuses me is the extra gear above the feed crew. Perhaps there was once a governor to help regulate speed.

What I find curious: how does one go about mounting a cylinder on the mandrel?

For what my opinion is worth, I also agree that (the remains of) this machine are genuine scraps, put back together in order to set up a museum or shrine exhibit.

It is quite obvious to me that relevant parts of the machine are missing, otherwise there would be no reason at all to have those two vertical plates on the right that bascally enclose no gears, but just rods passing through. The placement of the handle, directly driving the mandrel, seems particularly incongruous to me and was possibly only used to show how the mandrel would revolve. Also, all the pillars on the left-side of the board seem "borrowed" from period chemistry laboratory equipment and used as a simulacrum of the left plate (which I believe is entirely missing). This is probably why mounting a cylinder looks like a cumbersome operation.

The plate indicates that this is some kind of museum showpiece, as it describes it as a handcrafted phonograph, dates it to 1896 and states that it is a French Excelsior model. The Excelsior I know is a German brand and made well after 1896, although it was sold all over Europe. Maybe someone took remainders of a phonograph and bolted it on a wood base without much concern for what it looked like when new, adding pillars here and there just to make it look more complex. Probably a steampunk, but one in search of respect.

I'm fairly sure that it's the remains of a coil winding machine that someone faked into a "phonograph".

Kind of like this...

https://www.bing.com/shop/productpage?q ... ORM=SRRPC1

It looks to me that, if one wants to put a cylinder on the mandrel, one needs to loosen the left pivot by unscrewing with the crossbar atop the post, then slide the pivot out to the left. I think--and I'm guessing--one then entirely removes the mandrel, puts the cylinder on the mandrel, then re-inserts the mandrel/cylinder back into the machine.

John

JerryVan wrote: Fri Jun 28, 2024 11:54 am I'm fairly sure that it's the remains of a coil winding machine that someone faked into a "phonograph".

Kind of like this...

https://www.bing.com/shop/productpage?q ... ORM=SRRPC1

I have to agree, the remains of a coil winding machine looks most likely. Maybe someone successfully converted it to a hand-driven phonograph or just wanted the look of a phonograph.