The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have several Nicole soundboxes but have never seen a Nicole gramophone. I remember seeing a picture of a Nicole Standard from this forum but alas the pictures are now lost. (Did anyone save them?)

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Recently this "Unusual Gramophone" was discussed. It's a Zonophone, but is it? It was assumed the Nicole Master Box A soundbox was not correct. Perhaps this is a Zonophone under the Nicole label.

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I understand there was a 1902 catalogue with pics, but I cannot seem to find it. This is what I have found. The Standard and The Nicole Popular (Zonophone)

Around 25 years ago I bought a collection of needle tins which included 5 or 6 of these Nicole needle tins. I kept one and sold the rest on eBay over a period of time - knowing little or nothing about Nicole at the time, I was astonished at the prices they fetched.

Found a few more. The Corona variants seem to have a similar metal base plate to the Zonophone but marked Corona. Does anyone have any of these?

Thank you for posting these pictures of interesting variants.

Recently a Nicole long throat soundbox sold on eBay. The dealer, who has 50 years experience, states in the listing that, and I quote: ‘Nicole machines were not badge engineered’. The picture of The Nicole Popular appears to suggest the opposite especially as Nicole Frères were agents for Zonophone.

Nicole was among the first wholesalers to offer gramophones to the trade. By December 1900 they offered Zonophone machines and records, and in October 1901 they were appointed sole distributing agents in Britain for Zonophone.
When F.M.Prescott sold the European interests of the International Zonophone Company to the Gramophone & Typewriter Company in 1903, the business relationship between Nicole Frères and Zonophone ended. Nicole then sourced their machines from Symphonion. These machines carried the Nicole name, so they were indeed badge engineered.

The Nicole soundbox.

CORONA was a machine made by Popper & Co from Leipzig, Germany. They usually have a gold coloured bedplate with the word CORONA as a part of the casting

Thanks for the Popper & co info. Love the illustration.

The Nicole soundbox is quite advance for something from 1901-4. The Exhibition was introduced in 1904 and may well have been inspired by the Nicole.
It's also very possible it was the inspiration for Harry Virtz in the mid 1920's when he was experimenting with the No2 soundbox, adding the crossbar.