The June 2013 Antique Phonograph · The June 2013 Antique Phonograph. ... Jean-Paul Agnard, Julien...

1JUNE 2013 The Antique Phonographwww.antiquephono.org

June 2013The

Antique Phonograph

2 The Antique Phonograph JUNE 2013

The Antique Phonograph

Editor: René Rondeau

Contributing Writers:Jean-Paul Agnard, Julien Anton,

Robert W. Baumbach, Roger Bernier,

Lynn Bilton, Bill Boruff,

Scott Colgrove, Scott Corbett,

Timothy C. Fabrizio, Patrick Feaster,

Robert Feinstein, David Giovannoni,

Meaghan Hennessy, Larry Karp,

Allen Koenigsberg, Scott Malawski,

Charles Marowitz, Richard Martin,

Shawn O’Rourke, George F. Paul

Ray Phillips, Stephan Puille,

Thomas Rhodes, Stan Stanford

Jim Stewart, Mike Tucker

CONTENTS - JUNE 2013CONTENTS - JUNE 2013CONTENTS - JUNE 2013CONTENTS - JUNE 2013CONTENTS - JUNE 2013

EDISON AND EIFFEL IN 1889 Page 3Edison’s ‘Perfected’ Phonograph made its grand de-

but at the 1889 Exposition in Paris, where Edison and Eiffel

met in mutual admiration. By René Rondeau

HOW DOES THAT COIN-OP WORK? Page 9Shawn O’Rourke continues his study of rare coin-

operated phonographs with the electric-powered Rosenfield.

TALKING MACHINE EXHIBITIONS Page 16Part 2 of George Paul’s “PHONOGRAPHY” column

about early phonograph exhibitions, and the unusual (and

rare) ephemera of that fascinating time.

ORTHOPHONIC JUKEBOX 0Coin-operated Orthophonic Victrolas, by Robert

Baumbach.

INDESTRUCTIBLE CYLINDERS Page 24The untold story of “Indestructible” cylinders, along

with a list of release dates, never published previously. By

Allen Koenigsberg.

Front cover: A souvenir plate from the 1889Exposition Universelle in Paris, showingvistors listening to the ‘improved’ EdisonPhonograph. (Courtesy Ray Phillips.)

Rear cover: Victor brochure printed inNovember 1928, announcing the 11-25 and11-50 coin-operated Victrolas. (CourtesyRobert Baumbach.)

Vol. XXXI, No. 2

©2013 by The

Antique Phonograph Society

All Rights Reserved

2013 Officers:President: George Paul

([email protected])Vice-President: John Levin

([email protected])Secretary: Mike Sherman

([email protected])Treasurer: Jeff Oliphant

([email protected])President Emeritus: Dan Reed

([email protected])Program Director: Scott Corbett([email protected])

For General Inquiries:[email protected]

EDITORIAL EMAIL:[email protected]

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Published Quarterly by

THE

ANTIQUE PHONOGRAPH SOCIETYP.O. Box 169

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The Journal of The Antique Phonograph Society

3JUNE 2013 The Antique Phonograph

Edison at the1889 Paris Exposition

as there anywhere in the world more glorious than Paris during the “Belle Époque” of the late19th century? It was the capitol of art, architecture, and literature; a vibrant, beautiful, andW

dynamic city in a time of great scientific triumphs.

There could be no better place to celebrate the grand acheivements of modern times than at an exposi-tion to which the entire world would be invited to honor the centennial of the French Revolution, aswell as the glories of the Third Republic, nearly two decades after the collapse of the Empire, theFranco-Prussian war, and the civil strife of the Paris Commune.

The dominant feature of the Exposition Universelle of 1889 was unquestionably the Eiffel Tower. Builtover the course of two years, this soaring testament to modern engineering was hugely controversialduring its early stages. Considered by many to be a blight upon the beauty of Paris, ultimately evenmost of its biggest detractors fell in love with its majesty once it neared completion. At 300 meters, or1,000 feet, it was the tallest structure in the world. Originally it was intended to be torn down after 20years. Fortunately, by then the Tower had become so iconic that such destruction became unthinkable.

by René Rondeau


An enormous bulb topped

the display of Edison

lighting.Hundreds of dif-

ferent color bulbs were

used to create special ef-

fects.

The entrance to the Edison

exhibit can be seen at the

far right, with “Edison’s

Phonograph” above the

door.

The Exposition brought the wonders of the world to the general public. Sights, sounds, foods, andforeign cultures that would have been impossible to conceive of in the days of limited travel and com-munication were all contained in a grand mini-universe of endless surprises. From Javanese dancers topaintings and sculptures, a gigantic globe of the world to the dizzying heights of the Eiffel Tower, theabundance of delights offered thrills that lured over 32 million visitors over the short six months thatthe exposition was open (May 6 to October 31).

Among those many visitors was Thomas Edison himself. Edison was not an enthusiastic world trav-eler, but this Exposition – in which Edison’s inventions were prominently featured – motivated him toleave his laboratory behind and set sail on the French liner La Bourgogne on August 3, 1889, for a twomonth grand tour of Europe.


Edison Phonograph

exhibit at the 1889

Exposition. The table

on the left has a col-

lection of tinfoil pho-

nographs. In the cen-

ter is a prototype

Edison Talking Doll.

A set of Edison-

Lalande batteries can

be seen at the right

front.

Visitors listening

in astonished

wonder to Edison

Phonographs.

Edison’s associate, William Hammer, had gone to Paris several months earlier to set up the Edisonexhibits, which covered an incredible 9,000 square feet – amounting to half of the total space allocatedto the United States exhibit, and by far the largest single display in the entire Exposition. The majorityof the displays were in the Machinery Palace, covering the full extent of Edison’s work, from phono-graphs to light bulbs, ore mining, telegraphs, telephones, and scores of others. A separate display wasset up in the Industrial section, where a pavilion was erected exclusively to demonstrate Edison “Per-fected” Class M phonographs. About 30 machines were kept in constant operation, each with multipleeartubes, so that dozens of people could listen to a phonograph at the same time.

The Edison Phonograph was unquestionably one of the biggest stars of the show, perhaps rivaled onlyby the Eiffel Tower itself.


The so-called “Mili-

tary” Class M Phono-

graph, 50% normal

size, is shown in front

of an early ‘Spectacle’

Class M.

The tiny “Military”

Class M as it appears to-

day. (Courtesy Thomas

A. Edison National His-

toric Park.).

The Phonograph exhibit in the Machinery Palace included Edison’s very first tinfoil phonograph, alongwith several other tinfoil machines. There was also an Edison Talking Doll prominently shown, eventhough it was still a prototype – they would not be marketed for several more months. One of the mostcurious machines on exhibit was the “Military” Class M – a half-sized, working model of the normalClass M. Its purpose has long been open to question. Although it was dubbed a Military Phonograph inoriginal documents, it is hard to envision how such a tiny, battery-powered machine with miniaturewax cylinders could possibly serve in a battlefield. Not to mention the tiny diameter of the recordingand reproducing diaphragms, which would have almost no resilience. Nonetheless, Edison was quotedin the French magazine La Nature as saying “I have also created a pocket phonograph, a small model,the cylinder of which will take three hundred words, the length of an ordinary letter. I have the modelhere, and you can see it any day you like. [Pause] These are not, however yet ready for sale.”

As far as is known today, only one was actually made. After the Exposition Edison kept it for himself,and for decades it was displayed in a cabinet in his dining room. It was only recently put on public

(continued on page 8)


Original invitation to a luncheon honoring Edison in the Eiffel Tower on September 10, 1889.

On the back are autographs of Edison, Eiffel, and Gounod, who included a short music stanza.

(Author’s collection.)

The Phonograph given to Eiffel by Edison is still inside

Eiffel’s apartment at the very top of the Tower, along with

wax figures. Note the specially-designed table with two

enormous Grenet cells, and binding posts just to the rear

of the phonograph to connect the wires.


display at the newly restored Thomas A.Edison National Historic Park in West Or-ange, NJ.

During Edison’s stay in Paris he and hiswife, Mina, were barraged with invitationsto luncheons, dinners, and parties, whichleft Edison exhausted. As was typical, herefused to speak at any of these events,leaving others to speak on his behalf.

Of all the honors bestowed upon him dur-ing his visit, the most meaningful to himwas an invitation to a luncheon held byGustave Eiffel on September 10, 1889, inthe Café Brébant on the first level of theEiffel Tower. Edison and Eiffel sharedenormous mutual respect, with Eiffel call-ing Edison a “dear and illustrious master,”and Edison signing Eiffel’s guestbook with“To M. Eiffel the Engineer, the bravebuilder of so gigantic and original a speci-men of modern Engineering, from one whohas the greatest respect and admiration forall Engineers…”.

Some 60 guests attended the luncheon, all members of the Société des Ingénieurs Civils. AfterwardsEiffel invited everyone up to his private apartment at the very top of the Tower for a reception. As theyleft the restaurant Eiffel noticed composer Charles Gounod finishing lunch. Although Gounod hadbeen a very vocal detractor before the Tower was constructed, he had come to admire the structure.Eiffel, bearing no grudges, graciously invited the illustrious composer to join the party in his apartment.

As a token of esteem, Edison presented Eiffel with a Phonograph. Almost 125 years later, this machineis still in Eiffel’s apartment, displayed with very lifelike wax figures of Edison, Eiffel, and Eiffel’sdaughter Claire. Visitors to the Tower can still see it today.

There’s no question that the 1889 Exposition Universelle was one of the major events of its day, andthat Edison’s exhibits were among the most important and exciting to be seen there. The name, andfame, of Edison and his Phonograph gained even more strength from this exposure. The quiet tinkererwho had been virtually unknown to the general public just a decade earlier was now seen as one of thegreatest inventors of all time.

(For the full story of the Eiffel Tower and Edison’s visit to Paris, I highly recommend the delightful

best-seller Eiffel’s Tower by Jill Jonnes.)

(continued from page 6)


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lass Mresented for yourenjoyment is thetwelfth article in aP

series on coin-operated pho-nographs, explaining howthey work. We’ve alreadyexplored the 102Hexaphone, Edison Excel-sior, Columbia BS, EdisonH, Columbia AS, EdisonBijou, Columbia N, TalkingMachine Company of Chi-cago, and Edison Manhat-tan. We have also discussednickel- and penny-sized to-kens used by the parlors andarcades that operated them.In this installment, we willexplore the RosenfieldManufacturing Companycoin-operated Class M.

Those of you who are morethan casually familiar withme know that I have threeprimary rules that limit ac-quisitions to my collection.Those rules are: (1) no ma-hogany machines, (2) noelectric machines, and (3)only US manufactured anddistributed machines. I formulated these rules partly out of my aesthetic inclina-tions, but perhaps more so out of a need for focus. I realized early on that one couldnever hope to purchase, let alone house, the broad spectrum of phonographs avail-able to the collector. These rules have served me well for over 20 years of collecting.So it is with no modicum of shock that I present for you today an electric coin-operated phonograph.

William W. Rosenfield established his manufacturing company in 1890. Among col-lectors today, Mr. Rosenfield may be best known for his coin-operated machine pro-duced in 1905 using a Columbia phonograph mechanism. This coin-operated ma-chine employed a spring motor AZ phonograph with an electric motor to wind andreturn the mechanism. The motor was 110 volt AC and utilized a Rosenfield pat-ented return mechanism.

Pre-dating this machine is the Rosenfield Class M that we will observationally ex-plore today. On the bedplate, there is a small plate with a serial number and a patent

onograph 9


reference (Figure A). The PAT. JULY 24, ’94most certainly refers to the Tewksbury patentfor a “Coin-operated Mechanism for Pho-nographs.” Rosenfield clearly was obligedto refer to the Tewksbury patent for the saleof his machine. The “OTHERS PENDING”on the tag most certainly refers toRosenfield’s patent filed on November 28,1903. This patent, not issued until September 25, 1906, relates to an automatic return mechanism forphonographs of Rosenfield’s own design (Figure B). With this patent reference, as well as the Edison

serial number on the upper casting of the mechanism,we can confidently place the production of this ma-chine in 1903.

This Rosenfield Class M is one of approximately fivecurrently documented examples. When I acquired thismachine, I expected it to be powered by the more com-mon 2 volt Class M DC motor. However, upon in-spection, I learned that this Rosenfield was actuallypowered by the very rare Class E (110 volt DC) mo-tor.

The first power station that came on line in 1882 pro-duced DC electricity. DC power is highly susceptibleto resistance, requiring that generation of power beclose to where it is consumed. In fact, DC power sta-tions typically only transmitted up to one mile fromtheir source. By the 1902 census there were 3,620central stations providing power in the US. However,only about 5% of the US population was served bythese stations. Coin-operated phonographs with ClassE motors would “plug” into a light socket that waspowered by DC electricity. With no messy batteriesto maintain, 110 volt DC machines had a significantadvantage over battery-powered coin-ops. However,since DC electricity was not widely distributed, DCpowered coin-ops were restricted to the largest met-ropolitan areas, such as New York, that were servedby DC power stations. An interesting side note is that

Consolidated Edison ceased supplying DC power in New York on November 14, 2007, after 125 yearsof continuous service.

The mechanical foundation of the Rosenfield Class M is the Edison Class M phonograph. By 1903,Edison had either abandoned or run out of the earlier Class M top castings and began modifying EdisonTriumph top castings to use with Class M motors. The primary modification made was the addition oftwo small pulleys, mounted on either side of the mandrel pulley support stanchion (Figure I). Theseadditional pulleys allowed the leather belt from the motor drive shaft to transition from a horizontal to


a vertical orientation.

One additional, rather severe, modificationspecific to the Rosenfield was the removal ofthe stanchion cast into the upper casting situ-ated to the right of the mandrel pulley. In afactory-produced Triumph, this stanchion lim-ited the travel of the mandrel when the endgate was opened. For the Rosenfield, the fac-tory stanchion was in the way of the neededadditional coin-op parts. As well as addingcoin-operation, when in place, these parts per-form as a surrogate for the missing factorystanchion.

As noted previously, this Rosenfield Class Mhas a Class E, 110 volt DC motor. Figure C,

shows the porcelain Edison sockets on the inside of the cabinet, as well as the porcelain “plug” thatwould screw into a light socket with 110 volt DC power. The internal sockets serve to hold light bulbsor electric chokes that would increase electrical resistance and thus reduce voltage. This particularmachine has an exceptionally strong motor and runs very well on 36 volts DC.

Unlike some earlier versions of electrically powered coin operated machines, in the Rosenfield ClassM, the coin is not used to “complete” the elec-trical contact and start the motor. The coininitiates a mechanical operation that createsthe electrical contact to start the machine. Aswell as the obvious additional coin-operatedmechanism, there is a rather large counter-weight added to the back of the carriage. Thisweight off-set the weight of the coin-oper-ated mechanism and can be seen (partiallycutaway) on the patent drawing in Figure B,and on the machine itself in Figure I. Patronswere required to use listening tubes to hear atune on the Rosenfield Class M. There wasno accommodation for a horn on this ma-chine. The case used for the Rosenfield ClassM is similar, if not identical, to competingcontemporary coin-operated manufactures. In addition to the small metal plate on the upper works withserial and patent information, there is a serial number plate on the inside of this particular RosenfieldClass M’s cabinet (Figure D). The reproducer on this Rosenfield Class M is an Edison Automatic,modified specifically for coin-op machines. We will explore coin-operated reproducers in our nextinstallment of How Does That Coin-operated Phonograph Work.

The Rosenfield Class M coin-operated phonograph described previously and shown in Figure E iswhat I will use to explain How Does That Coin-operated Phonograph Work.


Identifying Cylinder

Talking Machine HornsThere are two major mechanical mechanismson this machine. I will refer to them as:

· The coin-trip mechanism

· The carriage return mechanism

Unlike all of the coin-operated phonographswe’ve previously explored, there is no need fora winding mechanism on this machine. DCpower was constantly available to the motor,with only the trigger of a nickel required to ini-tiate its action.

The coin-trip mechanism

In contemporary literature, this mechanism ofan electrically-driven coin-operated machine

was called the “Nickel-action.” Upon theirintroduction, most coin-operated phono-graphs operated on a nickel. However, by1903, the penny arcade was becoming everpopular and machines that previously oper-ated on a nickel now operated on a penny.Even though this machine operates on anickel, to maintain consistency with other in-stallments in this series, we’ll continue torefer to this mechanism as the coin-trip

mechanism.

This mechanism consists of nine main com-ponents including the: coin chute, coin flap,trip rod catch, trip rod, pivot contact, trip rodspring, copper plates, coin compartment, and coin safe (Figures C, F, & G). The patron starts thisphonograph by dropping a nickel in the slot located in front of the curved glass cover (Figure H). Thisaction performs the following functions:

· It allows the nickel to travel down the coin chuteand contact the coin flap.· Contacting the coin flap pivots it downward, re-leasing the trip rod catch.· Releasing the trip rod catch allows the trip rod topivot, actuated by the trip rod spring.· The pivot contact, affixed to the trip rod, pivotswith the rod and makes electrical contact betweentwo copper plates.· After contacting the coin flap, the coin travelsdown into the tin coin compartment of the lockedcoin safe.


Electricity comes intothe Rosenfield Class Mand first flows throughthe Edison sockets.From there, one wireleads up to one of twoterminals on the Class Emotor. The other wireconnects through thecoin-trip mechanism,eventually ending up atthe other terminal on theClass E motor. Withelectrical contact madethrough the interactionof the coin and coin-trip

mechanism, the motor isnow spinning freely.

The carriage return mechanism

This mechanism consists of several com-ponents including the eccentric cam disk,return feed shaft, carriage, carriage half-nut, weighted latch arm, bent limit rod,and mandrel feed screw (Figures I, J, K,& L). Two highly complex componentswithin this mechanism are the return feedshaft and the eccentric cam disk. Thereturn feed shaft has a spiral returngroove that runs the length of the shaft.In between the convolutions of the spi-ral return groove are teeth. The eccen-

tric cam disk has a high and a low ridge, withtwo sets of teeth in between, and interacts withthe return feed shaft to propel the carriage backto its starting position. Additionally, the eccen-tric cam disk has a hub with two notches. Thesenotches interact with the weighted latch arm toindex the eccentric cam disk in the appropriateorientation between the high and low ridges.

Instead of being immediately ready to play, thecarriage actually completes its return at the startof play. When electrical contact is made throughthe action of the coin-trip mechanism, the car-

Identifying Cylinder

ns


riage arm is not fully at the beginningof the record, nor set in a playing po-sition. Rather it is only most of the waythrough its return. When a coin isdropped, the eccentric cam disk is in-dexed in the high ridge, riding in thespiral return groove. The action of themotor resumes the return of the car-riage to beginning of the record. Asthe carriage reaches the beginning ofplay, the weighted latch arm contacts,and is pressed down by, the bent limitrod attached to the carriage shaft onthe upper works. This action performsthe following functions:

· It raises the weighted latch arm, releasing it from its indexed hub and allowing the teeth on theeccentric cam disk to engage theteeth on the return feed shaft.

· The rotation of the return feedshaft and interaction between theteeth on the shaft and teeth onthe eccentric cam disk rotates thedisk.

· The eccentric cam disk contin-ues to rotate until it is stoppedby the weighted latch arm at thelow ridge indexed position.

· As the eccentric cam disk rotatesto its low ridge indexed position,it lowers the carriage and allowsthe carriage half-nut to engagewith the mandrel feed screw

In the low ridge indexed position theeccentric cam disk rides above and free from the return feed shaft, which constantly rotates throughoutthe machine’s operation. With the eccentric cam disk disengaged from the return feed screw, and thecarriage lowered and carriage half-nut engaged with the mandrel feed screw, the record is now playingfor the enjoyment of the operator.

As the record nears its completion, in addition to those listed previously, some final components comeinto play including the: limit rod, cam plate, weighted latch arm, carriage stud, trip rod, trip rod catch,trip rod lever, pivot contact, copper plates, and coin flap (Figures F, G, J, K, L, & M). At the end of therecord’s play, a cam plate on the eccentric cam disk comes into contact with the limit rod. This actionperforms the following functions:

· It rotates the eccentric cam disk, releasing it from its indexed hub allowing the teeth on the


eccentric cam disk to engage the teeth on the return feed shaft.· The rotation of the return feed shaft and interaction between the teeth on the shaft and teeth on

the eccentric cam disk rotates the disk.· The eccentric cam disk continues to rotate until it is stopped by the weighted latch arm at the

high ridge indexed position.· As the eccentric cam disk rotates to its high ridge indexed position, it raises the carriage and

disengages the carriage half-nut from the mandrel feed screw.· The eccentric cam disk, in the high index position drops into the spiral return groove of the

return feed shaft and begins to return the carriage to the start of play.

During its return, the carriage stud engages with the trip rod lever. It did not do so during play of therecord, as the carriage was in the low ridge indexed position and easily passed beneath the trip rodlever. Now in the high ridge indexed position, the carriage is raised enough to engage the trip rod lever.Engaging the trip rod lever performs the following functions:

· The carriage stud pushes against the trip rod lever, causing the trip rod to rotate.· Rotating the trip rod rotates the pivot contact and breaks the electrical connection between the

two copper plates.

At this point, there is no electricity flowing to the motor. However, its inherent inertia allows it toremain spinning and carry out the following final actions:

· The carriage continues on its return and eventually rotates the trip rod lever far enough to resetthe trip rod catch and coin flap.

· The carriage stud now moves past and disengages with the trip rod lever, resetting the trip rodcatch for the beginning of play.

With the inertia of the motor finally fully expended, the carriage comes to a graceful stop. It is stillraised with the eccentric cam disk in the high index position riding in the spiral return groove of thereturn feed shaft. The Rosenfield Manufacturing Company coin-operated Class M has now playedthrough a complete coin-operated cycle and is ready for the next patron to drop in a nickel and hear thesame record.

As an extra bonus, you can see the action of this rare coin-operated phonograph, described above, in avideo by going to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnWS-pV2KFw or even easier, by accessing itfrom your mobile computing device through the QR code below.

I hope this helps you understand the Rosenfield Manufacturing Company coin-operated Class M! Withthe introduction of the Rosenfield into my collection, my new rules for limiting acquisitions are: (1) no

mahogany machines, (2) no Alternative Current (AC) electric machines, and (3)only US manufactured and distributed machines. That is, at least for now. I lookforward to sharing future related articles on this topic and welcome any of yourquestions or comments on How Does That Coin-operated Phonograph Work.

Just email me at [email protected]


n an article in the March 2013 issue of The Antique Phonograph, a variety of items from earlytalking machine exhibitions were pictured and described. Reader response was positive, and when

PhonographyTraces of Early

Talking Machine

Exhibitions:

Part 2by George F. Paul

II mentioned to one kind respondent that I could have shown more, he suggested a second installment tothe article. I receive so few suggestions or requests that I could not ignore this one, so at the risk ofboring those who are not interested in this topic, here is the second (and final) part of a glimpse attraveling talking machine exhibitions of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

This scrap of paper is all that remains from

one of the earliest talking machine exhibitions.

It consists of two-thirds of a handbill that

served as a bookmark until discovered 130

years later. Edison’s tinfoil Phonograph was

barely six months old when this exhibition took

place. (See also “Traces of Tinfoil: Edison’s

Phonograph Comes to the Genesee Valley”,

The Sound Box, September 2009, pp.24-30.)

Surviving handbills from early talking machine ex-

hibitions are often blank, or with limited informa-

tion. This one, advertising a “Graphophone Musi-

cale,” offers unusually complete background. In

addition to the date, time, admission fees, location,

beneficiary and reason for the event, the exhibitor’s

name and current address is included, along with

the fact that he was a former resident of Blain (pre-

sumably in Maine, despite the spelling of

“Lewistown”).


Enticing the curious to “Hear The

Graphophone,” a talking machine exhibitor

could set up this “podium” on a table at lo-

cal fairs, parades, or socials. Although ca-

pable of accommodating six listeners at a

time, this artifact was found with half its holes

plugged with corks, suggesting that – at the

end at least – business was not as brisk as it

might have been. Nevertheless, we can pre-

sume that some folks heard their first recorded

sound from the Graphophone hidden inside.

An 1897 Type A Graphophone rests in-

side the wooden box; its three rubber

tubes taking sinuous routes to the out-

side where customers wait with nickels

in their hands.

Professor H.L. Smith made a point of pro-

claiming that no ear tubes would be used

for his “Wonderful Contribution to the fund

of Science.” In fact, potential audience

members were advised that “A Scientific

Experiment will be shown…” By 1898, the

same “scientific experiment” would be oc-

curring in thousands of private homes as

owners of talking machines recorded the

voices of family and friends. As private own-

ership grew, “Professor” Smith and his fel-

low exhibitors had to change their programs

or find others vocations to pursue.


In the previous installment, it was noted that

by the late 1890s, many exhibitors were rel-

egating the talking machine to the back-

ground in favor of Moving Pictures. This

pole advertiser for Professor W.D. Haskell

provides a good illustration of this evolu-

tion. The upper two-thirds of the broadside

extols the coming moving picture attraction,

while in smaller print below (“Part Sec-

ond”) is mentioned, almost as an

afterthought,“A Grand Concert by the

Graphophone, no ordinary machine…”

Carrying cases for cylinder records exist in suf-

ficient numbers to suggest that they could be

found in many households just over a century ago.

Talking machine exhibitors certainly used them

as well. This particular example may well have

been part of an exhibitor’s outfit. It is notable in

that it was fashioned from metal, which would

have been useful during inclement weather. The

top-mounted handle is an early configuration

which was generally abandoned in the mid-1890s

in favor of a more traditional suitcase-style

handle arrangement.

Interestingly, the tin cylinder carrying case

contains 18 metal pegs for the records. Note

also the integrated lock.


An unusual folding

handbill describing the

wonders of the talking

machine as exhibited by

Fred Yagear on Febru-

ary 28, 1900.

This unusual poster from the John M. Smyth Company

is noteworthy in several respects. It promotes a disc talk-

ing machine exhibition rather than the more commonly-

seen cylinder variety. The machine itself, although non-

descript, features an oversize horn and floor stand, and

although clearly an exhibition poster, the illustration

looks like a catalog rendering of the exhibitor’s outfit,

including rubber stamps, posters, admission tickets,

needles, and other articles of no interest to an attendee.

Finally, even in an age known for bombastic language

this poster’s verbiage stands out.

The inside of the fold-

ing handbill describes

the repertoire with an

emphasis on the tri-

umph of American

arms during the 1898

Spanish-American

War.

George Paul welcomes comments and/or sugges-tions at [email protected].


hen Victor introduced the AutomaticOrthophonic Victrola in 1927, it soon became

The Orthophonic Victrola Jukeboxesby Robert Baumbach

Wapparent that they had more than a living room hit ontheir hands.

Business owners soon discovered that the new Victormachine provided an excellent platform for a new-erajukebox. All that was missing was a mechanism for col-lecting coins and switching the machine on and off. Suchmechanisms had been used for years on pianos andorchestrions, so it was relatively simple to adapt an ex-isting coin mechanism to the Victrola. Once that wasdone, the instrument was ready to put on location. Itcould be stocked with records, and when a nickel was

dropped into the slot, the patron would hearthe next song in the queue. The music pro-vided was a good draw, but it could be madeeven more inviting by allowing the patron towatch the new marvel actually change therecords.

The owner, of course, didn’t simply want toleave the door open in order to provide a viewof the operation. That would invite too manyinquisitive fingers into the inner workings. Awindow in the front door, perhaps in conjunc-

Coin-op Offer from the Milwaukee

Distributor

Victor model 10-50 with window in door


tion with a lock, would provide the desired security.

I have seen quite a few of the AutomaticOrthophonic Victrolas that have been con-

verted to coin operation, and been surprisedat the large variety of different modifi-

cations that were made. Sometimes theinstallation of the window and the coinequipment looked quite professional,but just as often it would look ama-teurish.

It was apparent that large concerns,such as the major Victor distributors,were providing jukeboxes ready to go,and also in other cases that the bar,

café, candy shop and ice cream parlorowners were making the conversion

themselves, using whatever parts theycould easily obtain.

Before production of the Victorla 10-50 cameto an end, Victor itself provided the basis for the

conversion by offering a version of the machine withthe window installed at the factory. I’ve read documen-tation from distributors referencing the fact that a newfront door with a window could be ordered from the fac-tory for retrofit of older Automatic Orthophonic Victrolas.

Also at this time, it was entirely possible to order a newVictor 10-50 with the window (but without a coin at-tachment) for the home. Undoubtedly, there were somehomeowners who themselves wanted to watch the magicof a record player that could change its own records.

Accompanying this article is a picture of a model 10-50with a window, and it is my opinion that this is the ver-sion built at the Victor factory. Note that this front doorhas a section of the carving that extends into the glassarea. This would be relatively easy to do at the factorysince that carving is a separate piece, but it would be farmore difficult to do to an existing solid wooden door.

Victor lowered the list price of the 10-50 from $600 to$500 in March of 1928, one year after the introduction

Victor model 10-50 showing inside

of windowed door

One of the many coin boxes

made for use with Victrolas


of that model, which made the instrumentan even better proposition for either thecommercial establishment or the homeowner.

The price reduction was a means of clear-ing the stock of the 1927 model in antici-pation of its replacement, the model 10-35, in the fall. The standard model 10-35was not nearly as popular as the originalchanger model and the novelty of therecord changer was waning, but some 10-35s were likewise converted to coin op-eration. The low list price of $365 musthave certainly been an attraction for someoperators, but the cabinet style did not lenditself nearly so well to this application. Thecabinet was low, and the mechanism wasrecessed under a long lid. A window in thelid could provide a good view of the ac-tion, however it would only be visible topatrons standing immediately in front ofthe cabinet. A small recessed rectangular

panel on the front of the cabinet between thelid and the speaker doors was a more easilyturned into a window, and some examples ofthis new model were converted in this manner.

Surviving instruments suggest that quite a fewof the 12,000 Victor 10-50s produced were con-verted to coin operation and lesser percentageof the later model 10-35s were converted. I havepersonally seen dozens of examples of the coin-operated model 10-50, and only one exampleof a coin-operated 10-35.

Victor intended to offer a completely factorypurpose-built jukebox in December, 1928 inboth electrical and acoustical versions, but pro-duction totaled only 5 examples. It is likely thatthe debacle surrounding the second generation

Victor model 10-35 adapted for coin use

RCA-Victor model CE-27 utilizing leftover

10-35 cabinets


Victor record changer,which required a mas-sive recall, doomed theproject. The cabinetsthat had been pro-duced in anticipationof this model were re-cycled for a differentcommercial product,the twin-turntable ex-port model CE-66.

Interestingly, the nextjukebox released byCamden was themodel CE-27 that usedthe new 1931 RCA-Victor record changerinstalled in leftover10-35 cabinets. Thesewere sold at the re-markably low price of$235. As the pictureaccompanying this ar-ticle shows, a new lidwith a slanted windowprovided a good viewof the action. The samerecord changer wasused in the coin-oper-ated model CE-29once the old 10-35cabinets were used up.

It appears that RCA-Victor lost interest in the commercial market after this point. Sales of coin-operated Victrolas andElectrolas were certainly never significant, and with the deepening depression combined with the dis-mal market for recorded music, it is not surprising that the company concentrated its future effortselsewhere.

Victor brochure announcing models 11-25 and 11-50, in classic Art

Deco design. See back cover for more from this brochure.

To learn more about coin-operated Victrolas, please visit

www.VictorTalkingMachineCompany.com


he origins of the Indestructible Phonographic Record Co. may have been somewhat rocky, withhopeful anticipation in Chicago, Maine, and Albany, NY, but once launched, they produced un-

Indestructible Cylinders: A Bird’s Eye ViewIndestructible Cylinders: A Bird’s Eye ViewIndestructible Cylinders: A Bird’s Eye ViewIndestructible Cylinders: A Bird’s Eye ViewIndestructible Cylinders: A Bird’s Eye ViewBy Allen KoenigsbergBy Allen KoenigsbergBy Allen KoenigsbergBy Allen KoenigsbergBy Allen Koenigsberg

TTTTTbreakable cylinders for many years (1907-1922). Their inventive roots could be found in the first prod-ucts issued by the Lambert Co. in the summer of 1900 (using the patents of Devillo Levi Bennett) whenthe first series were the natural color of celluloid – white and heavy. But these were considered noisy atthe time and a pink dye (fuchsine) was soon applied with acetone in an attempt to make them quieter.And when one looked at them, from above, the vital information – catalog no., title, and artist — wasusually rubber stamped. Their main competition, from Edison and Columbia, were typically made ofbrown wax and had smooth rounded ends — what selection was being played was only revealed by thestentorian announcer at the beginning.

What then can we tell from a bird’s-eye tour of the rims of the Indestructible Company? The US PatentOffice avoided that word, preferring “Infrangible” but the company name would never appear there,even when later sold by Sears and Montgomery Ward. Over the years, the pink Lamberts were gradu-ally improved, especially by the company plumber Wm. Messer who figured out a more economicalway to attach the rims – at the same time that the recording was steamed and pressed (US Pat 705,772).Prior to that, the rims were separately attached and cemented, requiring thicker celluloid and additionalsteps in manufacture (w/ small wedges inside). When Messer’s patent issued (July 29, 1902), the datewas given a prominence no one could have anticipated, and it was soon embossed where the customerscould see it every time, even though they probably didn’t bother to look it up. It would still be there –long after the usual 17 years of ‘protection’ - when the company folded after their disastrous fire ofOctober 1922. Messer had already become (1909) an Edison employee.

But their first real competition came in 1902 whenone of their own incorporators, Varian M. Harris(1870-1930), joined forces with Edmund A. Balm(1867-1945, also then in Chicago), to form the Inde-

structible Phonograph Record Co. (with the legalhelp of Payne & Biggs). Perhaps two of their un-usual and evanescent recordings have survived andone is shown here: “Mister Dooley,” but the prom-ised ‘patents pending’ never materialized – nonethe-less, Edison was kept informed of their labors by hisindustrial spy Joseph McCoy. The (outer) brown-dyedcelluloid tube was mounted on a brown wax interiorcylinder, despite the original plans to send these outin cereal boxes (as a premium) in a collapsed state –the customer would ‘mount’ his own. It is easy tosee one looming problem, i.e. TAE still controlled

the patent for the interior continuous core (until May 1905), no matter who supplied it. This particularselection could not have been made before June 1902 when it was copyrighted by Jean Schwartz andWm. Jerome and was used in a recent Broadway play, ’A Chinese Honeymoon,’ at the same time and


IND RELEASE DATES: 2-Minute (U.S.) (Compiled by Allen Koenigsberg)

Nov. 1907 (553) 575-660Dec. 1907 661-683Jan. 1908 684-705

Feb. 1908 706-729Mar. 1908 730-753Apr. 1908 ———May 1908 754-769June 1908 770-785July 1908 786-809Aug. 1908 810-833Sept. 1908 834-857Oct. 1908 858-881Nov. 1908 882-905Dec. 1908 906-925Jan. 1909 926-949 & 950-973

Feb. 1909 974-997Mar. 1909 998-1021Apr. 1909 1022-1045May 1909 1046-1069June 1909 1070-1093July 1909 1094-1117Aug. 1909 1118-1141Sept. 1909 1142-1165Oct. 1909 1166-1189Nov. 1909 1190-1213Dec. 1909 1214-1237Jan. 1910 1238-1262

Feb. 1910 1263-1281Mar. 1910 1282-1301Apr. 1910 1302-1321May 1910 1322-1341June 1910 1342-1356July 1910 1357-1371Aug. 1910 1372-1386Sept. 1910 1387-1401Oct. 1910 1402-1416Nov. 1910 1417-1431Dec. 1910 1432-1443Jan. 1911 1444-1455

Feb. 1911 1456-1465Mar. 1911 1466-1474Apr. 1911 ———May 1911 ———June 1911 1475-1484July 1911 1485-1494Aug. 1911 1495-15021912 1503-15151913 ———1914 1516-15201915 1521-15251916 1526-15481917 1549-15631918 1564-1574

quickly recorded by Victor as a 7” disc (#1466) on July 10,1902. Edison released his own version by Edward M. Favorin September (#8125). The artist is not named but the com-pany and city are! (the talented ‘Mr. Dooley’ was a popularturn-of-the-century Irish character created by F. P. Dunne).

By the timethe lastLamber t swere issued(1904-05),they wereblack, in-side andout, and therim infor-mation wasb e i n gmolded asraised let-tering (seehere). No

one has ever worked out an exact month-by-month chronol-ogy for the Lambert Co. but they had reached their highest2” number (#1053) by Sept. 1903 – so we can also expect tofind an earlier pink version (rubber stamped) of Raff ’s

Cavat ina

( # 8 0 4 ) .Note theo r i e n t a -tion, i.e.the letter-ing sec-tions areboth up-right withthe patentdate at thetop.

The Lam-bert Co.went into

bankruptcy in Jan 1906 (despite issuing some superior 5”diameter cylinders), a victim of its own success – legallydefeating Edison’s attacks but unable to pay out for the un-ending battles in court. It took almost 2 years to recapitalize


and find new owners (Lambert himself was no longer involved,having moved over to telephony after 1902, and never sailed toEngland as often claimed). Alert collectors will note the slightchange in the formal name of the re-organized NY enterprise, The

Indestructible Phonographic Record Co. (to avoid any conflict withthe earlier Balm & Harris). Their first (small) catalog, issued inAlbany, would appear in November 1907 (pictured in APS’s Marchissue), with the 25 selections ranging from #575 to 660. We cansee the direct link between the old (Lambert) company and thenew, since #575 (Overture to Semiramide) was long portrayed intheir advertising, to the very end. The orientation and raised-style

is still upright for both alpha-numeric sections on the rim, but nowthe pat. date was situated at the bottom. The cylinders were nolonger hollow since Edison’s patent had expired (382,418) and therims, at both ends, now had metal reinforcing rings gripping theinterior cardboard tubes (Matthews’ 892,301). They were finallyready for the Lambert elephant! The first black and white contain-ers, showing the same embossed rims (see scan here, with lettersretouched by the company), claimed the design (or the name) was‘trademarked,’but it could not be located at the USPTO; I do not know precisely when the embossingtechnique was dropped in favor of the ‘indented-white,’ but probably by Jan. 1908 (just prior to their#684?), and well before their monthly output was sold to Columbia as of Sept. 28, 1908 (for fouryears). Reading the titles changed yet again as the base of the white lettering radiated from the centerand stayed that way permanently.

There was a variety of series eventually avail-able, including British, Spanish, Bohemian,and even sets for Rosenthal’s language instruc-tion in Italian, Gaelic, etc. With few exceptions,such as the 2 known “Clock” cylinders and anearlier “Fortune Telling” record, Wm. Messer’subiquitous date appeared everywhere. Whatthen can we say about this unusual item pro-duced at the very end of their 2-minute pro-duction (see chart). What bored (or dis-gruntled?) employee decided to change thenumber of days in July from 29 to a risque 69?I have seen other pressings of #1573, but theyalways have the correct patent date. How manyof these managed to get out of the factory be-fore a dealer noticed? Has anyone seen a simi-lar example of mischief?

As the company looked for more ways to maketheir records available, they apparently made some new arrangements with Cyrus Shigley in far-offMichigan. Shigley had pioneered in large Ferris-wheel-style coin-operated machines (727,002), start-ing in 1902, but obviously the mechanisms would be rather hard on anything made of wax. By late


1904, his Multiphones would be suppliedwith much tougher (and unbreakable) cyl-inders made of celluloid (all 24), some dyedpink and others black (the ornate clam-shellcase design was the work of Wm. Pritchardin 1906-07). The cylinder shown here (#956)was separately patented by Shigley andSherman Paxton in 1904 (800,331 &822,485) and had multiple steel shaftsthrough the centers of the permanently-mounted wood and plaster cores. In this de-tail, they anticipated Edison’s BlueAmberols of 1912.

Our tour of the rims ends here, with #1254,with the unusual detail of the song selectionbeing “copyrighted.” The catalog number ofthis title would place its nominal release (seechart) to January of 1910 (words by ArthurLamb, music by J. Fred Helf, filed Sept 22,

1909), but of course, since both Lambert and Indestructible specialized in continually (re-)issuing mostof the items in their inventory, it theoretically could have been (re-)made at any time after that. Only thesmallest clue, an almost invisible etching of thename of the publishing firm of Helf & Hager inthe land at the title-end answered our question– the firm changed after 1910 so the master was

made in 1909. The reason for the printed “copy-right” was apparently the new Federal Act ofMarch 4, 1909 which covered mechanical re-production. What seems odd is that so few cyl-inders were marked in this way.

One can see other details over the years, suchas “Pat’d” being spelled out as “Patented,” andan in-house group being called the “Federal

Jazz Orchestra” (to reflect a June 1917 corpo-rate update). But it was quite a remarkable runfor a standardized product, and yields a won-derful opportunity for modern collectors.

Allen is the author of The Patent History of the Phonograph and Edison CylinderRecords, 1889-1912; he is pleased to welcome visitors to his website or to answer

questions: www.phonobooks.com.


9/13


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