Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

GRAMAPHONE

Date

1907

Materials

MAHOGANY, STEEL, FELT

No. Pieces

6

Height

32.5

Length

44.5

Width

35.3

Description

1. MAHOGANY BOX-STYLE PHONOGRAPH, WITH HINGED LID, SLIDING BRACKET AND TWO HINGED DOORS OPENING OUT FROM SOUND BOX. HAND WOUND TURNTABLE, WITH STEEL CRANK AND WOODEN HANDLE. REMOVABLE STEEL TURNTABLE, WITH GREEN FELT LINING SITS ON STEEL SPINDLE. TONE ARM SITS IN BASE, PAINTED BLACK WITH THIN GOLD COLORED TRIM. ROTATING HEAD, WITH REMOVABLE CARTRIDGE MADE OF STEEL AND RUBBER, WHICH IS DRY. PLASTIC FACE ON CARTRIDGE COVERS METAL PIECE ENGRAVED WITH "EXHIBITION PAT. IN U.S.A. & FOREIGN COUNTRIES MANUFACTURED EXCLUSIVELY BY VICTOR TALKING MACH. CO. CAMDEN, N.J.". SERIAL NUMBER "924549N" STAMPED INTO BACK. KNOB AT BASE TIGHTENS TO SECURE NEEDLE. SPEED REGULATOR LOCATED IN TURNTABLE BASE, WITH KNOB AND METAL PLATE INDICATING "F" AND "S" WITH ARROWS. SMALL WINDOW IN CENTER OF PLATE, WITH POINTER INDICATING SPEED ON DIAL. SWINGING PLATE COVERS POINTER, READS "SPEED INDICATOR TO ADJUST INSERT SCREWDRIVER IN SHAFT SLOT, HOLD SHAFT FROM TURNING AND SET POINTER AT 78 ON DIAL WHEN TURNTABLE IS RUNNING AT 78 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE." BASE OF TURNTABLE HAS THREE SMALL COMPARTMENTS IN LEFT HAND CORNER, ONE OF WHICH HOLDS NEEDLE CONTAINER. OTHER TWO ARE EMPTY. NAMEPLATE READS "BERLINER GRAM-O-PHONE CO. LIMITED MONTREAL. SOLE DISTRIBUTERS FOR CANADA. PATENTED 1897-1907." INSIDE OF LID HAS DECAL WITH TRADEMARK PICTURE OF SMALL DOG LISTENING TO "HIS MASTER'S VOICE" FROM PHONOGRAPH. BELOW PICTURE IS "REG U.S. PAT. OFF., M. DE F.M. IND. RGTRDA. NOS, 4176Y 4180. I DE FEBRERO, 1904" IN SMALL PRINT, AND "VICTROLA REG. U.S. PAT. OFF., M. DE F., M. IND. RGTRDA. NO. 6035, 17 DE ENERO, 1906. MANUFACTURED BY VICTOR TALKING MACHINE CO. CAMDEN, N.J. C(?) S.A. PATENTED IN UNITED STATES & FOREIGN COUNTRIES", IN LARGER PRINT BELOW. TWO DOORS OF BOX OPEN TO ENHANCE SOUND, WHICH IS AMPLIFIED BY ENCLOSED HORN. WITHIN, ARE THREE ANGLED HORIZONTAL SLOTS. BOTTOM OF PHONOGRAPH HAS PAPER LABEL, ON WHICH IS PRINTED NOTICE CONCERNING PATENT AND LICENCE, WITH LIST PRICES FOR DIFFERENT MODELS, PICTURE TRADEMARK, AND "BERLINER GRAM-O-PHONE CO. LIMITED MONTREAL." PAPER IS YELLOWING, AND BOTH CORNERS ON THE RIGHT SIDE ARE TORN. THREE BRASS KNOBS ON BASE (ONE IS MISSING). MINOR SCRATCHES AND WEAR THROUGHOUT, WITH SMALL WHITE PAINT MARK ON TOP OF LID. SPRING IS BROKEN. 2. STEEL CONTAINER WITH LID. 3CM (H) X 3.7CM (D). HOLE IN CENTER OF LID, 1.5CM IN DIAMETER. CONTAINS 57 BRASS, AND 50 STEEL NEEDLES (ONE PAINTED RED). FITS INTO CORNER COMPARTMENT OF TURNTABLE BASE. 3. BRUSH: 20CM (L) X 3CM (D). BOTTLE-STYLE BRUSH WITH BLACK, BROWN AND WHITE BRISTLES. WIRE CORE WITH WOODEN HANDLE AND STEEL FERRULE, ENGRAVED WITH "FULLER". FINISH ON HANDLE SLIGHTLY MARRED. 4. TIN: 5.2CM (D) X 1.5 CM (H). STEEL TIN WITH BRASS FINISH. REVOLVING LID, WITH RECTANGULAR SLOT 19MM (L) X 7MM (W). LID AND TOP OF TIN ARE CONCAVE, WITH RAISED RIDGE AROUND CIRCUMFERENCE. FACE OF LID PAINTED RED, WITH SCALLOPED EDGING, AND IN BLACK PRINT READS "200 SPECIALLY TESTED GRAMOPHONE NEEDLES LOUD TONE MADE IN ENGLAND FOR THE T. EATON CO LIMITED CANADA SHAPE OF BOX REGD." AROUND BASE OF TIN IN BLACK LETTERS IS REPEATED FOUR TIMES "PREVENTS SPILLING". INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE ON BOTTOM OF TIN, WITH "REGISTERED DESIGN NO. 713852". FINISH WORN ALONG EDGES, WITH MINOR SCRATCHES. TIN CONTAINS 132 STEEL NEEDLES, AND 1 BRASS NEEDLE. 5. RECORD: BLACK 78 SPEED DISC: 25CM (D). GOLD DECAL AT CENTER WITH TRADEMARK PICTURE OF SMALL DOG WITH "HIS MASTER'S VOICE" LISTENING TO A GRAMOPHONE AND "VICTOR". DISC HAS "GIVE YOURSELF A PAT ON THE BACK FOX TROT" AND "WHEN THE ORGAN PLAYED AT TWILIGHT-WALTZ" ON REVERSE. BOTH SIDES READ "VICTOR TALKING MACHINE CO OF CANADA LIMITED MONTREAL" AND HAVE LICENSING DESCRIPTION WITH PATENT NUMBER "160997" AND SERIAL NUMBER "22434-A". S.N. "22434-B" ON REVERSE SERIAL NUMBER ALSO ENGRAVED INTO RECORD NEAR LABEL. OPPOSITE SERIAL NUMBER, IS ALSO ENGRAVED "BB 18570" WITH "V.E." ENCLOSED IN CIRCLE, "II", AND SMALL TRIANGLE. ON REVERSE IN SAME POSITION IS "BR 2716" AND "I" IN SUPERSCRIPT AND SMALL TRIANGLE WITH "V.E." ENCLOSED IN CIRCLE. 6. RECORD: BLACK 78 SPEED DISC 25CM (D). IDENTICAL TO 5. EXCEPT FOR SONG TITLES WHICH READ "WEDDING BELLS" AND "THAT'S WHAT I CALL HEAVEN" ON REVERSE. SERIAL NUMBERS READ "21893-A" AND "21893-B" ON REVERSE. SERIAL NUMBERS ARE ALSO ENGRAVED ON RECORD NEAR LABEL. BOTH SIDES HAVE "V.E." ENGRAVED IN ENCLOSED CIRCLE. NUMEROUS SMALL SCRATCHES.

Subjects

SOUND COMMUNICATION T&E

Historical Association

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

History

GRAMAPHONE WAS FOUND IN HOUSE DUE FOR DEMOLITION IN IRON SPRINGS. WAS PURCHASED BY DONOR FROM DAVID JENSEN OF SALT SPRING BRITISH COLUMBIA.

Catalogue Number

P19930045003

Acquisition Date

1995-04

Collection

Museum

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