thank you to all
************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour From [email protected] Fri Jul 27 06:37:26 2007 From: [email protected] (John Maeder) Date: Fri Jul 27 06:39:02 2007 Subject: [Phono-L] San Francisco bound Message-ID: <[email protected]> In the mid-1980's when I lived in California, I was in Folsom for the first time. In the window of a closed antique shop was a Leon Scott de Martinville Phonoautograph! I about fainted! I called the number on the door and the proprietor came over and opened the shop for me. Also in the shop was an S. Bergmann exhibition tinfoil! Turns out the proprietor -- Norm Solgas -- and his father built both these machines in the late 1950's from plans provided by the Edison Historic Site. Norm's father had been a machinist in the Navy during WW II and built them after he mustered out. Through me, the tinfoil went to Bob Bresnick of LA, who had the flywheel returned to more accurate dimensions provided by Ray Phillips, and had an exact reproduction wooden base with foil drawer built for it. From there it went to John Woodward who had a master pinstriper go over it. It was beautiful when it was finished. I believe Woody sold it around 1990 or so. I don't know where it -- or the replica Phonoautograph -- are today. Another SoCal collector friend of mine who is now approaching 70, was in Benecia in the early 1960's when he was a pup collector. There is a huge used furniture/antique store downtown (I'm sure it is probably still in business) that has been there for decades. He bought approximately 100 mint Concert and Grand cylinders there for a couple dollars apiece! He said there were several antique dressers with the drawers chock full of them. He also said they used to have dozens of phonographs back then. Ahhh . . . the good old days! I thought about his cylinder find every time I went in that place. Have a great weekend all! John
