NEED YOUR HELP

[vkestela]

Hello everyone!

I am looking for more information on this phonograph. I know, by reading your forum, the it was originally made for Montgomery Wards but not much else. Has anyone seen anything like this? I would love to find out more about it. Thank you!

Sorry about the picture being sideways.

[chriszm]

vkestela,
I wish I knew more about it, I've done a little bit of research into Cecilian's as I have a portable model. Image attached. Yours looks quite unique. Is it fully functional, meaning have you done ok with parts? I know I had some difficulty replacing some parts of the tone arm. Not as elegant as a Victor, but it was a good learning experience working on it.

[vkestela]

Hi Chriszm,
Thank you for your reply. It does work fairly well and it needs some tlc.I believe you are correct when you mentioned that it looks "unique" for I haven't been able to find anything like it. Some similar but made by Victor or others.

Thanks again!

[Jerry B.]

The machine that got me started by in 1972 was a Cecilian table model the equivalent of a Victrola IX. I attended a local auction and was buying a few things to furnish my first apartment. I bought the little machine for $37.50 and was totally intrigued by the sound and simple technology. I've been hooked for the last forty years. Your little machine looks like a budget upright. It doesn't look like it ever had a grill or doors. I have a Keen-O-Phone #1 that is quite similar. It has no grill, doors, lid, or even sides. The mechanics are sort of suspended in the frame. Victor made the classic upright and most companies tried to copy the basic style. Some companies broke from the pack and tried of offer an inexpensive models by cutting frills like doors or grills. Even as basic as your machine appears, it represents a major luxury item purchase for the original owners. Can you imagine the pleasure your little upright brought to someone's modest home? Variety is what makes collecting interesting. At Union this month there was a little Victrola X. It looked a little odd to me so I asked my friends and they said it was just a fumed oak Victrola. I have seen dozens of fumed oak machines but this one looked rather gray both on the outside and under the lid. I suspected it had a "driftwood oak" finish. The price was only $200 so I bought it. In forty years of collecting I have never seen a machine with a driftwood oak finish. You don't have to spend a ton of money to find something interesting. (Confession time... I didn't buy it until I checked with noted authority, Bob Baumbach, and he suspected it was driftwood oak. Then I spent my $200!) Jerry Blais

[vkestela]

Thank you Jerry!

Perhaps it can bring pleasure to another home. I don't want to keep it and when I list it for sell, I want the price to be fair. So far I haven't been able to see anything similar. Most I've seen are not upright models.

Regards,

Estela

[vkestela]

I have one more picture of the mechanism (guts) that can help identifying my phonograph. Thanks everyone!

[Roaring20s]

I found this online...

http://keithwright.ca/CAPP/Cecilian/Cecilian.html

James.

[gramophoneshane]

I've never seen an upright of this basic style in 30 yrs of collecting that didn't originally have a lower door/s, and either upper doors or a grille.
I guess it might have sold this way though. Anythings possible. I would have thought it started life with doors and a grille similar to those on the Cecilian pictured below.
If it did, then you should find screw holes were the lower hinges were removed, and screw holes, nail holes or a slot for a grille or doors somewhere around the horn opening.

The tonearms on all 3 machines are different, but I have seen all 3 tonearms on different machines of other brands.
This means that Cecilian machines were made from parts bought from generic parts manufacturers who supplied them to any company who wished to buy them.
Thorens & Paillard of Switzerland were companies who supplied parts like this, but there were American companies who made & supplied parts like these as well. All these arms appear to be pot metal, so it's highly likely these are all American made tonearms. The rest of the running gear (motors etc) are most likely supplied by US parts co's too.
I have the same tonearm that is shown on the portable above, in my spare parts box, and it came from a Polydor machine.

[larryh]

The portable looks very much like a 101 Brunswick portable. I wonder if there is some connection to them and wards in the period? I did see a cecilian recently listed for sale near me, I forgot that they were a wards brand. I know that many sears machines are fairly high quality but not sure of the wards models, anyone have experience with that? It also seems like in the acoustic heyday catalog machines were somewhat well built but in the electrical era quality seems to have taken a back seat in the mechanical machines as so many are in poor shape and probably were pretty quickly. Maybe due mostly to poor quality pot metal and maybe conditions that existed in many rural communites such as no heat and high humidity in homes.

[vkestela]

Thank you gramophoneshane!

You were right, we found a slot for the grill but no holes for doors.

Estela