A Day At The Christie Antique Show With The Edison Phonograph Museum

The hunt for records took me out today to the Christie Antique Show, billed as the largest show in Ontario, held twice a year in the Spring and Fall at the Christie Conservation Area on Highway 5 west of Flamborough, Ontario.. Of course leaving early to get there by 8:30 a.m was hampered by our famous highway and road construction, which reduced traffic to a snail’s pace. However, we finally arrived by 9: 30 a.m, and promptly headed over to see Jean-Paul Agnard, proprietor of the Musee Edison du Phonographe, situated in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre, Quebec. He had a very nice selection of gramophones for all to see and hear, and a stash of 78’s in the rear of his truck for me to go thru. Some nice 10000 series Starr records came out of that pile, along with a few other Victors, Columbias, and a late Perfect. Enjoy the photographs below detailing the phonographs on display, and of course, your editor hunting for records!

 

 

The Little G’ant Talking Machine 1915

Here is another example of the type of talking machine that was popular in 1915, as posted in the May 29 edition of The Billboard.

 

The Wondophone Talking Machine Sells At Sight 1915

The November 6, 1915 edition of Billboard carried this advertisement,  placed by the Wonder Specialty Mfg. Co. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for their Wondophone Talking Machine.

 

The Blue Bird Phonograph 1920

This advertisement for the Blue Bird phonograph was placed in the Buffalo Courier on November 14, 1920. The Blue Bird Phonograph was manufactured that month and year in California.

 

The Columbia Graphophone 1902

The September 11, 1902 edition of The Munro County Mail, New York, carried this advertisement for a Columbia Graphophone.

 

The Reliance And Artophone Portable Phonographs 1929

Tull and Gibbs, the largest home furnishing and music store in Spokane, Washington set their hopes in generating Summer phonograph business, with an advertisement that they placed in The Spokesman Review on June 9, 1929. They were offering both the Reliance and Artophone portable phonographs at a discounted price. I am not certain of the origins of the Reliance, but there is a notation of Victor manufacturing such a model. The Artophone, however dates back to 1916, and was manufactured in St. Louis, by The Artophone Company. Again, there is no other data to rely on to confirm that this portable phonograph was not manufactured by the same company.

The Best Kept Record And Phonograph Secret Of Central Ontario

One of the best kept secrets on where to junk for 78 rpm records, and phonographs in Central Ontario is the Barrie Antiques Centre, located in the heart of downtown Barrie, Ontario. Barrie, is located north of Toronto, Ontario, as is about an hour away by car. I paid a visit to it on Saturday, March 15th, 2014, and was astonished to find such a wide display of records and phonographs. The manager graciously allowed me to take some photographs and share them with you.

Barrie Antiques Centre, 227 Innisfil Street, Barrie, Ontario Open 7 days a Week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Crescent Talking Machine Company

The Crescent Talking Machine Company of New York City existed primarily from 1916 to 1920, and the phonographs were sold primarily in New York State, with some distribution extending into Pennsylvania. There were a line of 8 inch records manufactured by the company under the Crescent name, most likely to compliment the phonograph line. The two ads below were from the  Wallace Company of Schenectady, New York, posted between 1920 and 1922, in the Schenectady Gazette.

Brunswick Phonographs And Race Records 1929

It is not common to find an advertisement which combined both phonographs and race records together, let alone in a non colored newspaper. Such was the case in this Brunswick insert, placed in The Tulia Herald, Tulia, Texas on May 9, 1929.

 

The Royal Phonograph 1921

The Royal Phonograph Company of New York City introduced the Royal Phonograph around 1919. P.C. McInnis of Brownwood, Texas advertised that they carried this line of phonographs on May 5, 1921 in the Brownwood Bulletin.

 

The Rexonola Phonograph 1923

While scanning over the pages of one of Australia’s newspapers I happened upon this insert for the Rexonola Phonograph. The manufacturer was a company by the name of Jackson and MacDonald, Sydney, Australia. This ad was placed by them in The Sydney Mail on May 30, 1923.

 

Add Pleasure To Your School Days And Vacation Outings With A Portable Phonograph 1928

For those of us in Canada and the United States who have had to endure a harsh winter, I give you thoughts of hot Summer days ahead, and music from a portable phonograph. Sterchi Bros. of Florence, Alabama advertised that they carried four different portable phonographs, in the Florence Times Daily, on June 18, 1928.

 

The Dalion Phonograph 1920

A series of advertisements ran on the front page of The Aspermont Star, Aspermont, Texas for The Dalion phonograph, from October, 1920 to January, 1921. The Milwaukee Talking Machine Manufacturing Company was marketing their phonograph during the busiest time of the year for giving gifts.

25 Years Ago At The Canadian Antique Phonograph Society 1989

The February 1989 issue of The Canadian Antique Phonograph Society newsletter carried with it an article about collector and musician Jeff Healey.

 

Carolina Antique Music And Phonograph Society Show 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our One Year Anniversary Editorial

February 10th will mark the first anniversary of the78rpmrecordspins, and so far 27,000 viewers worldwide have enjoyed this site. I hope to expand the blog further in the second year, by including the 1940’s and early 1950’s. Because of the name of this webpage, I will not be including anything to do with cylinder’s. I invite your research papers, comments, and articles to be a part of this site. Please submit them to your editor for review @ kennethmcpherson@hotmail.com.

 

Ken McPherson

 

Crown 81497 Jack Teagarden and his Orchestra 1930

 

 

 

The Princess Talking Machine 1912

The Indestructible Phonograph Company of Albany, New York offered The Princess Talking Machine, along with 10 doubled sided records, for a price of  $16.75. The company advertised the phonograph in The Bryan Times, Bryan, Ohio, on December 10, 1912.

The Talk-O-Phone 1904

Here is a great advertisement for the Talk-o-phone phonograph from 1904, and as an added bonus, a Leeds record is included! So, if you lived in the Toledo, Ohio area you could obtain one through The Talk-o-phone Company, or,  The Hayes Music Company. From the July 21, 1904 edition of The Bryan Times, Bryan, Ohio.

The Manafone A Real Talking Machine 1915

The Lord and Gage Department Store of Reading, PA., carried news about The Manafone phonograph that they were selling in the December 15, 1915 edition of The Reading Eagle.

Plays 27,000 Records With One Everplay Phonograph Needle 1921

For our readers who have an interest in phonograph history, I came across this illustrated advertisement placed in the June 19, 1921 edition of  The Reading Eagle, Reading, Pennsylvania, for the Everplay Phonograph Needle.

 

Regal “O” Machine 1925

Here is another example of Australian gramophones, this time from the year 1925. Looks like a great table top model, and, the Regal “O” can play both 10 inch and 12 inch records. From the April 8, 1925 edition of The Sydney Mail.

 

The Salonola Phonograph 1924

I am not familiar with Australian model phonographs during the 1920’s, but I did come across this advertisement for The Salonola Phonograph while browsing through the April 9, 1924 edition of The Sydney Mail.

 

Learn The Fox Trot With The New Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph 1914

In an effort to promote its new flat disc phonograph,as the dancers machine,  Edison took out this full page advertisement in The Milwaukee Sentinel, on December 2, 1914. 

 

Phonograph Drops From Five Hundred Feet 1919

The Gerard Heintzman Company of Toronto, Ontario sells its models of phonographs as having the ability to withstand any accident, including falling off an airplane from 500 feet in the air. The accident was  used to market the phonograph, at their  Toronto Exhibition display. From the August 25, 1919 Quebec Telegraph, Quebec City, Quebec.

 

Editorial General

I am pleased that the reception to this blog has been good during its first year. However, I cannot plan it always on my own. I need your ideas, your contributions, through articles on record collecting or phonograph collecting. The 78rpmrecordspins is fast approaching its 700th posting. Please make this your community, and don’t forget we have a forum for you to discuss anything relevant to the blog itself, which you can find under our forum tab on the left panel.

 

Ken McPherson

 

The Zon-o-phone Phonograph 1900

Here is a rare 1900 advertisement for the Zon-o-phone phonograph, as a special offer to subscribers of McClure’s Magazine in their November issue.

 

Free $40.00 Rex Talking Machine 1915

The Pittsburg,PA. agency for Rex Records offers the machine as a free offer, so long as you agreed to purchase a certain quantity of their records. This advertisement was inserted in the February 14, 1915 Pittsburg Press.

 

Antique Phonograph News January to February 2014

Here is a look at the publication of the Canadian Antique Phonograph Society. This issue contains the history of the “Thorens” phonograph.

 

The Leader Phonograph at the T. Eaton Company, Toronto 1920

From Toronto, Ontario comes an advertisement placed in The Toronto World, on August 23, 1920, by the now defunct department store Eaton’s, depicting a Leader phonograph. Eaton’s would also carry their better known Amphion phonograph at this time.

 

The Vacation Grafonola 1919

Summer is six months away, and what a better way to think about a nice sunny warm day in July, than with a grafonola from the C.W. Lindsay Limited of Ottawa, Ontario. Lindsay’s inserted this advertisement in the July 2, 1919 edition of the Ottawa Citizen.

 

The Wurlitzer Phonograph 1924

Here is a rare glimpse of the Wurlitzer Phonograph, with two different offers, that included six Victor Records, a novelty dancing doll attachment, needles, a gold plated record repeater, and a mirror. I do apologize for not being able to enlarge the advertisement to show all that was included in the two offers. This advertisement appeared in the March 12, 1924 edition of the Greensburg Daily Tribune, Greensburg, Pa.

 

An Edison Phonograph That Sounds Exactly Like The Artist’s Voice 1916

The Edison agent for Peekskill, New York, D. Greenfest Company, ran this advertisement for the Edison phonograph in the December 6, 1916 edition of The Highland Democrat, Peekskill, N.Y.

 

The Crystola Phonograph 1919

H.S. Ackerman Music House of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, announces in January, 1919 that they are selling the newly improved Crystola Phonograph, in the Greensburg Daily Tribune. The Crystola was manufactured by the Crystola Company, Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Adora Phonograph 1923

This advertisement for the Adora phonograph was part of a much larger ad in the February 2, 1923 Milwaukee Sentinel, taken out by retail furniture store Bloch Daneman Company. This phonograph was made in Detroit, Michigan by the Adora Phonograph Company.

 

A Dolce-Tone Phonograph For Christmas 1920

Reed, Dawson, and Company, Inc. of Newark, New Jersey placed an advertisement for the Dolce-Tone phonograph in the December 12, 1920 Newark Sunday Call. The Dolce-Tone was made by this company, itself.

 

The Jewett Phonograph 1921

The Star Bargain House of Owosso, Michigan announces they are carrying the Jewett phonograph, in The Owosso-Argus-Press on July 27, 1921. This phonograph was manufactured by the Jewett Phonograph Company, Detroit, Michigan.

 

The Cathedral Phonograph 1920

Renier Music House of Dubuque, Iowa, announces in the July 11, 1920 edition of The Telegraph-Herald that it is now carrying the new Cathedral Phonograph, and its factory is shown, located in Marion, Ohio. The main selling point of the Cathedral is the triple diaphram reproducer, which will allow one to play lateral cut,diamond point, and sapphire ball records.

 

The Victor Gram-o-phone For Christmas 1908

The Berliner Gramophone Company of Canada Ltd., which was situated in Montreal, Quebec, took out this Christmas advertisement for its Victor Gram-o-phone, in the December 21, 1908 edition of The Montreal Gazette.

 

A Phonothetic McLagan Phonograph For Christmas 1926

The Ottawa, Ontario distributor for McLagan Phonographs, Robertson, Pringle and Tilley Limited placed this wonderful advertisement for the Phonothetic McLagan in the December 18, 1926 edition of the Ottawa Citizen.

 

The Sears, Roebuck and Company Silvertone Phonographs and Records for Christmas 1920

Sears, Roebuck and Company of Seattle, Washington, advertised their various Silvertone phonograph models and the latest Silvertone records, just in time for Christmas, in the December 12, 1920 Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Washington.

 

The Brooks Automatic Repeating Phonograph 1920

The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington carried this interesting ad for the Brooks phonograph in its December 12, 1920 edition. The Brooks phonograph was made by Brooks Manufacturing Company, Saginaw, Michigan.

 

The Meteor Phonograph 1920

This Meteor phonograph advertisement was placed in the Middletown, Ohio News-Signal on October 20, 1920 as part of a larger advertisement by Cappel’s Furniture. The Meteor was made by the Meteor Motor Car Company of Piqua, Ohio.

 

The Singer Phonograph 1916

In response to a request from a Facebook group member, I have managed to find an advertisement for a Singer phonograph being sold by Adams, in Milwaukee. This was in the December 8, 1916 edition of the Milwaukee Journal. The Singer was made by the Singerphone Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

 

Discontinuing Widdicomb Phonographs 1921

Dinwoodey’s Good Furniture is making room for more furniture by offering the Widdicomb phonograph at half price. The store, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, put this large advertisement in the July 15, 1921 Deseret News. The Widdicomb was manufactured by Widdicomb Furniture Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

 

 

The Blue Bird Phonograph Arrives In Time For The Holidays 1919

The Berkeley California’s Daily Gazette carried this announcement about the Blue Bird phonograph in its November 21, 1919 edition.

 

The Blue Bird was made by the Blue Bird Talking Machine Company, Los Angeles, California.

The Artophone Phonograph for Christmas 1917

The Maxine Co., of Toledo, Ohio announced that they were the Toledo agents for the Artophone, just in time for Christmas. The advertisement itself was found in the December 18, 1917 edition of the Toledo News-Bee. The Artophone went into production in 1916, and was made by the Artophone Company, St. Louis, Missouri.

The Master-Tone Phonograph 1919

From the Sunday Chronicle of Paterson, New Jersey, comes this well illustrated advertisement of the Master-Tone phonograph and its various models. The advertisement date was June 8, 1919.

Brunswick, New Edison, Franklin, Master Tone and Victrola all for Christmas 1919

 

The Paterson New Jersey Sunday Chronicle ran these two different Christmas phonograph ads in the same edition, December 7, 1919 for competing music stores. The less known Franklin and Master Tone phonographs are mentioned in the top advertisement.

The Electric Conreid Phonograph at Gimbel’s 1921

Another Conreid phonograph advertisement by Gimbel’s Department store in Milwaukee, boosting about it being an “electric” phonograph, that can be turned on by a switch, and,it was taken from the December 2, 1921 Milwaukee Journal. It is also suggested that the phonograph would make a good Christmas gift.

 

Nothing Down Brings A Columbia Grafonola To Your Home For Christmas 1921

 

A dealer’s Christmas insert from The Milwaukee Journal, December 16, 1921, promoting the Columbia Grafonola.