The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

After a long absence, I arise from my sarcofage. Well, actually, this is not copmpletely a joke, because when we look at this Bijou Grand, it somehow made me think of a kind of burial arrangement with the plush etc.
I saw it in an advert and could not resist saving it from a possible funeral in a landfill.

The lid has major challenges as we can see too, but the rest is not too bad. There is even a lamp inside,,,

What puzzles me most is the drawer. I can not see any drawer on the photos of this machine in the HMG book.
But, this is also the first time I have ever seen a Bijou Grand for real, so maybe some versions came with this drawer?
The initiated will probably know.
And yes, it came with a "The Gramophone Conpany# Exhibition sound box.

A variation of the "Junior Grand" and clearly a European take on it. I'm not sure we got that version in Britain. The JG had a basic record compartment behind a single door below the horn section.

I think the bottom shelf might be a late addition possibly? Certainly it is a very odd design with it! I think this was intended to be more of a "Library Bijou Grand" version with cabriole legs under the machine below simple record / accessory drawer. The lower shelf breaks all traditions and is out of place! I presume the rest of the cabinet all matches in terms of wood grain and colour of finish? You did well to save it. Congratulations on another great (freebie) find. Only where you live are such things possible!

PS - I'm not sure the funeral home adornments are original either!

I forgot to mention, it has a rear door, that give access to the horn and a space that I guess was meant to be a basic record section?
The complete furniture matches well with grain and color, so myself I feel it most possibly was made this way from the start...
The legs also have castors.
I have no idea what to do with it though, since I absolutely have no space for it anywhere,.,,,

nostalgia wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2025 6:19 am I forgot to mention, it has a rear door, that give access to the horn and a space that I guess was meant to be a basic record section?
The complete furniture matches well with grain and color, so myself I feel it most possibly was made this way from the start...
The legs also have castors.
I have no idea what to do with it though, since I absolutely have no space for it anywhere,.,,,

Yes, the rear door was a standard feature of the LBG's (exception being the mahogany / walnut "Style 12", the first ever model with the "improved" cast iron horn), Gramophone Grand and Junior Grand.

Good to hear from you again Martin. The land of cheap and sometimes free gramophones still surprises.

The oak Bijou Grand pictured on Page 100 of HMG does have cabriole legs and a lower shelf.

If your machine was mine I would begin by removing the floral and fabric additions. There may even be a transfer lurking beneath the lid. The lower shelf, which as Steve says looks like a later fitment, is cracked. The wood is not a good match for the rest of the cabinet and the exposed screw heads would never have been tolerated by the factory, so I would remove that too.

Unfortunately the Ivorine ID plate which should be at the bottom left corner of your motor board is missing. It might have given a clue as to the country of origin.

When you have returned the machine to as near original as possible, that will be the time to consider selling it.