The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

My wife and I were married in May of 1976. While we were on our honeymoon, we found and purchased a sweet little Columbia AK Disc Graphophone in Sag Harbor on New York State's Long Island. We still have that Graphophone. It has the first style cabinet and came with a 18" brass bell horn. This week, I acquired a nice second style AK Disc Graphophone and it has the optional 22" horn with appropriate aluminum arms. So, the first AK was bought just after we were married, and our next anniversary will be number Fifty!
The photograph shown is one that my wife took of me holding our newly acquired AK Graphophone. That photo was taken in New Hampshire on our honeymoon. The second photo shows that same AK Graphophone along with the one that I just got this week.
When we got married, I had already been collecting antique Phonographs for about ten years and I was actually trying to make a living making reproduction Phonograph dancing toys and reproduction Phonograph parts such as cranks and even C and H reproducers. Well, soon after that honeymoon, a family happened and a more reliable source of income was needed. The phonograph parts business went into dormancy. But guess what, I never entirely stopped collecting or making things and I still make Phonograph dancing toys and even many reproducer replacement parts.
Dan Zalewski

Congratulations, Dan, on 49 years of marriage! Coincidentally to your post, my wife and I will be celebrating our 49th tomorrow (June 26th). When we were married in 1976, I had been collecting for 9 years. Despite the books I co-authored and the many machines I've sold over the years, I never tried to make a vocation out of it. Thanks for all the support you've given to the hobby over the years!

George P.

Thanks, George and congratulations to you as well. It didn't take long to find out that I couldn't even support myself, much less a family making parts for obsolete Talking Machines. I guess it's always been a labor of love regarding making stuff. I think we are both extremely fortunate to have wives that have been and still are supportive in what we do.
Dan Z.

That picture looks shocking similar to my own appearance in 1976. And like you, and George, I also share that wedding year (in June). So we're at 49 and heading to 50, which will require a party. But there are no phonographs related to our beginning. I had been collecting for 15 years by then but no purchase coincides with our wedding.

I still have a couple of Zalewski Talking Machine catalogs in my file. I need to dig them out.