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Has anyone ever seen one of these?

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:48 am
by JohnM
Anyone ever seen one of these, and what was it for?

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/clt/2758563929.html
Screen Shot 2011-12-19 at 7.50.46 AM.png

Re: Has anyone ever seen one of these?

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 8:07 am
by 1923VictorFan
WOW! How strange. I guess the combination of being a coin operated cylinder machine it would have to be for people at a fair or something to record themselves for fun? The construction however doesn't look to be all that old. Is that a 6 inch cylinder? :?:

Re: Has anyone ever seen one of these?

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 8:41 am
by JohnM
Well, essentially it is just a 1940's Edisphone transcriber (listen-only). The standard format for office dictation equipment was a 6" long shaveable cylinder of 150tpi, so that is not unusual. What is unusual is the fact that it has been converted to coin operation since it is only capable of playing dictation format cylinders.

Re: Has anyone ever seen one of these?

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 8:55 am
by gramophoneshane
That is weird. I wonder what's on the cylinder?
Maybe it was in a pub with dirty ditties or something on it, and patrons could pay a dime to hear them :P

Re: Has anyone ever seen one of these?

Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:22 am
by JohnM
gramophoneshane wrote:That is weird. I wonder what's on the cylinder?
Maybe it was in a pub with dirty ditties or something on it, and patrons could pay a dime to hear them :P
You're right . . . what's on the cylinder is probably key to this mystery!