Category 6: Tools & Equipment for Communication➔Sound Communication T&E➔Sound Communication Devices➔Phonograph➔Phonograph, Cylinder
Artifact
Accession Number:
82-18-1Date
circa 1908Description
Given to the museum December of 1977 this is a type E Edison standard phonograph. It was originally won by the donners family at a tournament. The machine is labeled to be a type D but the painted horn suggests it to be a type E. The type D and E model have the tall/late case. It is decorated with pink roses on the edge of the horn and a yellow green blue gradient going from the very inside of the horn to the outside. There is also a handwritten note of sorts and a grand prize poster of the 1904 St. Louis Exposition. I am thinking the poster was to commemorate the original event, because the Type D phonograph is only dated back to 1908, while the type E, being even newer, is 1911.According to antiquephono.org The Late case had wider molding at the bottom that made it appear to be shorter than the Tall style. In fact the case was shorter in that the base board was eliminated. Instead, the case had a thin cover on the bottom. Usually a bracket is found on the bottom front of the case for the horn crane foot. The top left front of the case is slotted and notched for the horn crane brace.The lid went through a couple of changes throughout production. Initially, the corners of the molding on the lid were butt-jointed, but later on were finger-jointed. Sometime after that the clips on either end were changed from the 4 screw type to the 3 screw type. Most of the Model D lids had a Change of Reproducers instruction sheet glued inside. A small block is often found nailed on the inside left, presumably to hold the gear cover in place during transportation. The finish was generally the darker Antique Oak but is sometimes found in Golden Oak. As with the Model C machine, the Model D mandrel has no endgate and the mandrel shaft is supported by a center bushing or bearing. Most originals are potmetal and subject to swelling (usually not found on functioning machines today). The speed is changed from 2 to 4 minutes by pulling a knurled knob on the left side of the top gear cluster. Sometimes a 4 minute 2 transfer (decal) is present on the bedplate near the gear cover. These are often damaged and may have been added at the factory after the other decorations were covered in shellac.