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Polk 210
Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2024 6:13 am
by RemiThursday
I have a Polk 210 that I am finally getting around to taking a look at. It’s my first time working with a phonograph. It came with a bunch of parts, and I have been told (on Reddit) that it is missing the reproducer.
I’m not finding a lot of resources online for Polk. What are my first steps to getting this working, and where are good places to find parts for this machine?
Thanks very much!
Re: Polk 210
Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2024 8:41 pm
by Curt A
The Polk-Phone is one of hundreds of lesser known phonographs made by furniture stores, piano stores, etc. during the height of phonograph mania in the nineteen teens and twenties. Most used generic parts in purpose made cabinets, like the James K Polk Co. There are no specific places to locate spare parts and it will be somewhat of a search to find them. This is not an expensive machine, even if complete, so don't spend a lot attempting to restore it. You might locate parts on eBay or place an ad on the forum. I think the following poorly taken photo might be the correct reproducer, but I don't Know... The reproducer shown is a pot metal one showing stress cracks from age, so that may be the situation with any survivors...
- Screenshot 2024-12-16 at 8.22.01 PM.png (391.36 KiB) Viewed 1496 times
Re: Polk 210
Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2024 9:45 pm
by RemiThursday
Thank you! I appreciate the info.
I’m mostly doing it for the joy of repairing this old machine, so I am not too worried about return on investment.
I will take your advice and post on the forum, as well as search on eBay. Are there any specific brands I should be looking for for the reproducer?
Re: Polk 210
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 8:52 pm
by randymullx
You are looking for a Polk reproducer if we want to keep it as original as possible. I'm sure they were manufactured by others but they did have reproducers with the Polk of Polk-Phone name. For what it's worth there is some interesting music history associated with Polk (or at least interesting to me as a native Georgian). Here is a little background:
Fiddlin' John Carson was the first Country Music recording artist (known as Hillbilly Music 100 years ago). The first County recordings for sale were made for Okeh Records on Nassau Street in Atlanta on June 19, 1923. When the first 500 records sold out immediately at a Fiddler’s conversion in July, Carson was invited to New York City for another recording session. Polk Brockman was responsible for setting up all the recording sessions and served as Carson’s “producer”. Polk had started out selling Okeh Records in his grandfather’s (James K. Polk, Inc.) furniture store in Altanta. They became major distributers of Okeh Records and added stores in Dallas, Richmond and Memphis. They also sold Senora Phonographs along with their own Atlanta based phonograph line known as Polk-Phone.
Re: Polk 210
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 10:17 pm
by RemiThursday
That’s pretty cool. I might have to track that album down once I get this thing up and running.
Re: Polk 210
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 10:46 pm
by gramophone-georg
There was also an associated record label that I think was a Brunswick product:
Re: Polk 210
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 11:33 pm
by CharliePhono
gramophone-georg wrote: Mon Dec 23, 2024 10:46 pm
There was also an associated record label that I think was a Brunswick product:
Interesting. To my eye, that Polk cabinet looks an awful lot like a Brunswick Seville phono.
Re: Polk 210
Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2024 1:25 am
by Inigo
Brunswick... or Vocalion...?
Re: Polk 210
Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2024 1:40 pm
by gramophone-georg
Inigo wrote: Tue Dec 24, 2024 1:25 am
Brunswick... or Vocalion...?
Brunswick and Vocalion merged in 1926 here in USA if memory serves.
Re: Polk 210
Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2024 7:35 am
by JohnM
randymullx wrote: Mon Dec 23, 2024 8:52 pm
You are looking for a Polk reproducer if we want to keep it as original as possible. I'm sure they were manufactured by others but they did have reproducers with the Polk of Polk-Phone name. For what it's worth there is some interesting music history associated with Polk (or at least interesting to me as a native Georgian). Here is a little background:
Fiddlin' John Carson was the first Country Music recording artist (known as Hillbilly Music 100 years ago). The first County recordings for sale were made for Okeh Records on Nassau Street in Atlanta on June 19, 1923. When the first 500 records sold out immediately at a Fiddler’s conversion in July, Carson was invited to New York City for another recording session. Polk Brockman was responsible for setting up all the recording sessions and served as Carson’s “producer”. Polk had started out selling Okeh Records in his grandfather’s (James K. Polk, Inc.) furniture store in Altanta. They became major distributers of Okeh Records and added stores in Dallas, Richmond and Memphis. They also sold Senora Phonographs along with their own Atlanta based phonograph line known as Polk-Phone.
To continue this narrative, Ralph S. Peer was one of the men sent by OkeH to record Carson in Atlanta. When Peer noticed that there was a market for rural white music, he began to explore that field that led to him being recruited by the Victor Talking Machine Company to conduct the 1927 Bristol Sessions that got the country music industry rolling in a big way.