Grafonola vs Graphophone?

[bobb]

Hi Guys,

If this question is in the wrong section I appologize.....I wasn't sure where to put it. Can someone explain to me the Grafonola vs Graphophone terminology? I thought the term "Grafonola" meant a machine with an internal horn, but is that right? Is it a specific term for a certain manufacturer or any internal horn machine? I've got a Columbia Model 25 table model with an internal horn and although the label on the bottom says "Graphophone" all over the place it nevers mentions the word "Grafonola". But if I look on Ebay I see lots of Columbia ads where they say "Grafonola" in the title for other machines.

So when is it correct to refer to a machine as a "Grafonola"? And are they only Columbia machines or any machines that meet a certain criteria?

thanks,
bob

[brianu]

I think it's correct to identify a machine as a grafonola when the machine identifies itself as such. the ola suffix I believe originates from the victor talking machine company, which used it as a means to distinguish in a "modernizing" way the newer internal horn models (the victrolas) from the older external horn models (the victors, talking machines, etc.). other companies picked up on the practice of adding ola to the end of the machine's name, but without necessarily preserving the original purpose. with columbias, though, I thought the graphophones were primarily cylinder players, whereas the grafonolas were the disc machines. based on what you're saying, I may have been wrong in that assumption. either way, I wouldn't read into it too much.

[bobb]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the reply. I was always under the impression the "ola" designation came from Edison, as in Amberola, and I thought it meant an internal horn. But up until now I've only had interst in cylinder machines, so I really don't know any of the history of disc machines and their lingo......so what you say makes sense. It's funny because I've seen the terms Graphophone, Grafophone, Graphofone, Grafonola, and Graphonola all used interchangeably on Ebay. Not saying for a second that Ebay has any credibility with regards to phonograph terminology, but it is a handy place to see lots of phonographs at one time. With regards to understanding the terminology......I just want to prevent myself from sounding like an idiot if I ever can get to one of those cool phonograph conventions. )

take care,
bob

[phonogfp]

Brian's right - - Grafonola was a name meant to denote an internal-horn machine sold by the Columbia Phonograph Company. But Columbia wasn't too careful about its terminology - especially when its name was changed in 1913 to the Columbia Graphophone Company. By then, the company wasn't even selling cylinder merchandise!

George P.

[brianu]

I just want to prevent myself from sounding like an idiot if I ever can get to one of those cool phonograph conventions.

no worries there. most of the sellers of ebay and craisgslist and the like have pretty much cornered the market on that end.

[David Spanovich]

Among collectors, I've normally heard the following terms:

Graphophone -- Cylinder player.

Disc Graphophone -- Outside horn disc player. (This term was used in the ads following Columbia's introduction of their disc playing machines and records) --



Grafonola -- Internal horn disc player.


In case you haven't seen it, here's a short "primer" about the Columbia machines. --

http://www.intertique.com/TheColumbiaGr ... onola.html

DS

[estott]

The "ola" suffix predates the Victrola usage, the Pianola player piano device started using it in the 1890's. I'm not certain where the Aeolian Co. got the suffix (they might have coined it), but -ola began to be applied to many sorts of automatic mechanisms starting with musical devices and moving on. Pianola, Playola, Tone-Ola, Motola, Etc. David C. Rockola inserted a hyphen into his own name for the Rock-Ola trademark in 1927.

[Starkton]

Ludwig Hupfeld of Leipzig who traded in mechanical instruments and phonographs registered "Phonola" as a trademark on July 14, 1902. I haven't found an earlier "-ola" in connection with talking machines.

[estott]

There's a nice piece on the -ola suffix here. http://www.intertique.com/WhoPutTheOla.htm

They think it goes back to the Aeolian Pianola