Indian HMV flyers

[chunnybh]

Here are a few HMV flyers for Indian 102, 302 and 303.

[Inigo]

Very interesting, thanks!

[epigramophone]

Period information on Indian HMV machines is scarce, so thank you for posting this interesting leaflet.
It is strange that the Indian built Teak 102 is not mentioned. The 102C's were probably imported complete from Hayes.

[Sherazhyder]

Here are a few HMV flyers for Indian 102, 302 and 303.

Hi ! Thank you for posting the flyers. Will you please like to mention the year of their publishing ? Do you think these machines were manufactured in India? I believe the role of HMV Calcutta factory was limited to assembling of components manufactured in the U.K. and putting them in locally made cases of wooden or commercial play. I may not be correct and therefore interested in learning more about it.

If I correctly understand HMV never released a model with double spring motor to its domestic market in the U.K. I am really very curious to know the reason for that practice.

Some years back someone mentioned here about owning a HMV 100 in teak with a double spring motor cranked from right side of the case. I will appreciate if someone here shares the measurements and photographs of that machine.

Thanks and best regards
Sheraz Hyder

[chunnybh]

These were sent to me in a pdf from someone called Pratik in India.
The pdf is attached with some prices.
Quite amazing as there is not one crapophone in sight.
You can contact him at:
[email protected]
I do not know this guy but he seems pretty legit to me.

[jamiegramo]

Particularly interesting attachment, thank you so much for posting. As a lover of space age record-players I have never seen an ‘HMV Swinger Transmains’. I wonder if it was sold in Britain? Or was the practise of selling unique export only models kept on until the 1970s?

[Sherazhyder]

These were sent to me in a pdf from someone called Pratik in India.
The pdf is attached with some prices.
Quite amazing as there is not one crapophone in sight.
You can contact him at:
[email protected]
I do not know this guy but he seems pretty legit to me.

Thank you and best regards
Sheraz

[Sherazhyder]

Period information on Indian HMV machines is scarce, so thank you for posting this interesting leaflet.
It is strange that the Indian built Teak 102 is not mentioned. The 102C's were probably imported complete from Hayes.

Yes you are right, there is not adequate extant information about gramophone manufacturing industry in the British India. We all think that European (British, Germans, Swiss) and Americans gramophone manufacturers were the biggest players in the British Indian market. That is not true. By the early twentieth century, gramophone manufacturing in the British India was a mushrooming cottage industry. There were manufacturers of gramophone machines in almost every big city. It was a common practice among the sellers and even authorized agents/sellers of American, British, and Swiss gramophones to sell individual gramophone components to small concerns, who would use these components in their locally manufactured machines. In certain cases, some authorized agents of foreign manufacturers also had their own local brands. There was a great demand for these machines, cheap and rough yet very sturdy, across India. However, most of the researchers in Europe and USA are seemingly not informed on these aspects of early acoustic industry in the British India. Many times, I have observed that 'made in British India gramophones' (mostly with external horns) of popular local brands (occasionally available for sale on the eBay) have been discussed in the Forum and conclusively dubbed (despite their aesthetic appeal and reliable functionality) as fake. True that India thrives in manufacturing of replica gramophone horns today , but it does not mean that every 'non authentic looking gramophone' from India or Pakistan is fake. The absence of research and documentation about the British Indian gramophone industry sometimes leads to rejection of legit local brands of the past. Some day, I would write about this issue in more details. Another thing: if India monopolises manufacturing of replica gramophones today it is because of the hereditary artisans primarily catering to the needs of a clientele interested in the optics of a gramophone.

Regards
Sheraz Hyder