The "Ruby Point" was a replacement cup & stylus meant for a Graphophone reproducer. The owner would remove the original metal stylus arm, cement the "Ruby Point" into place on the diaphragm, and enjoy the results. An ad in the June 1900 issue of The Phonoscope claimed,
"Sells Like Hot Cakes. Only $1.00. Increases the volume 50 per cent. Eliminates all blast; sweetens the tone. By far the greatest improvement ever made for the Graphophone. Consists of a glass base with hard composition tip. No trouble to sell this point. Needs only to be shown to effect a sale. Adjusted to your reproducer for $1.00. LIBERAL TRADE DISCOUNT. Beware of all metal imitations, with the point set in, they lack the brilliancy in reproduction which so distinguishes the Ruby Point." It's interesting that the Penn Phonograph Company should have warned against use of "metal imitations, with the point set in" (alluding to Hawthorne & Sheble's "Aluminum Disc"), and then introduce a similar model as seen in the eBay listing. The earlier "Ruby Point" model with glass base is shown in Antique Phonograph Accessories & Contraptions on page 72, Fig. 2-24. George P. -----Original Message----- From: Jim Nichol <[email protected]> To: Antique Phonograph List <[email protected]> Sent: Sun, Mar 28, 2010 9:09 am Subject: Re: [Phono-L] What is this? So what is it? Jim On Mar 27, 2010, at 11:53 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > This is the "Ruby Point", invented by Jay Warren Moyer and sold by > the Penn > Phonograph Company in 1900 for $1. Unfortunately, the disc > is missing its > red stylus. Neat little item - and in a Hawthorne & > Sheble "Aluminum Disc" > box which originally housed a similar item. > > George P. _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
