In a message dated 3/12/2005 1:36:55 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:
> When I called for the "big-guns" to step in, I did not mean to slight you
> by
> omitting your name. Thanks for the information.
>
Randy:
No offence taken. You'd be obliged to recite a long list of names in
order to be all-inclusive. Actually, I thought you had written "big mouth,"
so naturally I felt compelled to jump in...
I agree with your observation re: maroon dividers. I fully expect
Greg's mechanism to be a "B" model with no pinstripes. I also presume it to be
a
two-spring motor. All of which would point to the 1918-1920 period.
I'm not sure if the knob on Greg's door is glass or brass - the photos
aren't too clear. In any case, it's not centrally mounted as were typical
Edison knobs on this model. The key escutcheon looks rather squared off too.
If these details indeed vary from the norm, it would support the "factory
sample" theory.
By the way, Greg - - be sure to check for tiny holes (where a data
plate was once secured) inside at the center rear, immediately below the lid.
If
you find them there, your machine is an "A/B-275." More likely, you'd find
them at the inside front left corner, immediately below the lid sill.
As an aside, I have an Edison "A/B-275/SI-19" cabinet that never had
an Edison mechanism in it. It's shown in "Discovering Antique Phonographs."
When I found it, my heart sank as I looked at the generic motor and wooden horn
inside. But when it became obvious that there were no holes for the motor
supports, no hole for the horn tube, and only one hole for the crank, a mystery
presented itself. The odd machine was legitimate, despite being housed in a
cabinet protected by a U.S. Design Patent (No.43,162). After some digging
around, I learned that during the final four months of 1918, Edison had
cancelled
orders for all cabinets except the "C-150," Amberola "50," and "C-250."
Looking through the "Talking Machine World," I learned that the motor (a
Heinemann
No. 77), the tone arm (a "Mutual" sold by the William Phillips Service of New
York City), and the hardware all dated from the 1919-1920 period. The woman
from whom I bought the phonograph said that she had purchased the machine in
1965 from the attic of a large house in Jamestown, New York. It turns out that
Jamestown had been a center for furniture manufacturing back in the day, and
at least one company - the Jamestown Mantel Company - supplied cabinets for
Edison. My theory is that a cabinet company - perhaps JMCo - found itself
stuck
with a few cabinets it had built when Edison cancelled its order. The cabinet
company installed generic parts to compete the machines, and sold them "out
the back door" to recoup their investment. There are no chalk markings inside,
no labels, and of course, no nameplate. At least one other machine like mine
exists.
Greg's machine - having an Edison mechanism - looks to be something
that was sanctioned by Edison. If there truly never was a data plate mounted
inside, I'd bet that it's a factory sample.
Regards,
George Paul
