There are a number of postcards from the WWI era that show Victrola VIs and IXs in use. It should be pointed out that "in the field" for US troops means rear areas such as hospitals, supply depots, and rest areas. I've never seen a photo of a talking machine in an American trench or dugout. The Germans, on the other hand, occupied generally higher ground and built deeper dugouts and bunkers. I've seen a few photos of talking machines in German forward areas.
George P. -----Original Message----- From: richard_rubin <[email protected]> To: phono-l <[email protected]> Sent: Sat, May 28, 2011 9:24 am Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Edison Army & Navy I own a beautiful full-color Victor ad from 1917 or 1918 called "Cheering Our Boys in France" that shows a bunch of American WWI soldiers in a dugout in France, sitting around a Victrola IX, which is perched on its shipping crate. Apparently, Victor thought the IX was suitable for that kind of duty. Does anyone know if any were actually shipped to France for that purpose? Has anyone ever seen a photograph of one in use in the field during that war? > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Date: Sat, 28 May 2011 11:16:30 -0400 > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Edison Army & Navy > > I like the A&N's ruggedness and design, and I remember Doug Anderson's very well (he was justifiably proud of it), but it was a somewhat difficult machine in many ways. One day I would like to find an early Decca "trench" model reflector machine, one actually from 1914-18, which was a more truly portable unit that saw considerable use in France. I have a later 20s Decca Jr, which is much smaller than the earlier "trench" models but surprisingly efficient tonally, and even the Jr remained in use by the British forces into the 20s and 30s. The 1926 film _The Flag Lieutenant_ with Henry Edwards shows one being used on a Royal Navy vessel. PC > ________________________________________ > From: [email protected] [[email protected]] On Behalf > Of [email protected] [[email protected]] > Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 3:45 PM > To: Antique Phonograph List > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Edison Army & Navy > > Ugly and clunkyness of the A & N, was part of the beauty of the History of > it. It was never intended to be put on display in your living room (Quite a frightening thought), but rather designed to be rugged, and dependable and useful for the boys in the battlefield to lug it around and play records around the campfire. Edison designed it for one purpose in mind. and that was doing his patriotic best, to design a machine that would be functional and hold up under unusual conditions and circumstances. If you are not into the colorful history of Edison, World War I, and the Edison A&N, it would be a certain mistake to buy one . I gave a lecture about a month ago at a Local Historical Society, on Edison's Phonographs and Diamond Disc Records, and took along my Edison Army Navy Machine, I set up early and kept it covered until the final selection of the evening, which was Let us not forget played on the Edison Army Navy Machine. I told the story of the creation of the Edison A & N > machine and the Let Us Not Forget Record, and then unveiled the machine. The crowd of History buffs were absolutely fascinated by it and ran up to take digitals as it played LUNF . Sharing that machine and record and the history behind both of them with this highly receptive crowd will always be one of the highlights from my years of collecting. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Peter Fraser" < pjfraser @mac.com> > To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@ oldcrank .org> > Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 2:27:19 PM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Edison Army & Navy > > I had one and sold it for three times what I paid. Couldn't wait to get rid > of it. Ugly and clunky and huge and ungainly and heavy, and useful only to completist collectors and WWI fans. > > Sent from my iPhone > > -- Peter > pjfraser @mac.com > > On May 27, 2011, at 9:53 AM, William Taney <bill@ taney .com> wrote: > > > I bid on one of them too. I think I stopped at about 700 and also had the feeling it would be a machine that might wind up in storage and felt that would be a waste (what good is a machine if you don't play it occasionally) > > > > Bill > > On May 27, 2011, at 10:40 AM, [email protected] wrote: > > > > Makes you wonder what happened to all of the A&N machines that went over to the Battlefields of Europe to entertain the Troups , and what happened to all of them after the War was over. How many were abandoned over there and never brought back, and if not, what the did the respective Military units do with the machines that eventually found there way back to the USA ? > > > > Bruce > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Bruce Mercer" <maxbud12@ wowway .com> > > To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@ oldcrank .org> > > Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 11:21:12 AM > > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Edison Army & Navy > > > > I agree with Bill. I've seen four or five A/N on ebay in that time span. I > > remember the cheapest was 650.00, the others were right at 800.00. One was > > in very nice cosmetic condition with some paperwork. I almost bid on it > > myself it was so nice, then came to my senses about 'where' I would put it. > > Check religiously and one will pop up. > > Bruce > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Bill Taney" <bill@ taney .com> > > To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@ oldcrank .org> > > Cc: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@ oldcrank .org> > > Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 10:57 PM > > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Edison Army & Navy > > > > > >> I have seen 4 up for sale in the last 2 years on eBay. They seem to be > >> worth about 800 bucks. > >> Bill > >> > >> Sent from my iPhone > >> > >> On May 26, 2011, at 8:47 AM, ny victrolaman < victrolaman @ gmail .com> wrote: > >> > >>> Thanks. I've read the Frow book many times, but I was hoping for > >>> something > >>> more recent and maybe crowd-sourced. > >>> > >>> How about the second half of my inquiry: How difficult would it be to > >>> find > >>> one today in fairly good condition, and how much should such an example > >>> command in today's market? > >>> > >>> On Thu, May 26, 2011 at 8:11 AM, Philip Carli < > >>> Philip_ Carli @ pittsford . monroe . edu > wrote: > >>> > >>>> Check the Frow book -- he certainly gives production history for the > >>>> model. > >>>> PC > >>>> ________________________________________ > >>>> From: phono-l-bounces@ oldcrank .org [phono-l-bounces@ oldcrank .org] On > >>>> Behalf Of [email protected] [[email protected]] > >>>> Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 6:55 AM > >>>> To: Antique Phonograph List > >>>> Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Edison Army & Navy > >>>> > >>>> I am not sure whether those statistics exist anywhere. If anyone would > >>>> know > >>>> it would be Author and Edison Historian and expert Ron Dethlefson or > >>>> possibly the curator of the Edison Historic Site. I have an original > >>>> Army & > >>>> Navy, and it has serial number 2934, which is one of the highest serial > >>>> numbers I have encountered for A&N Edison phonographs. How many still > >>>> exist > >>>> ? I could wager a wild guess and say, maybe less then 100 ? again, just > >>>> a > >>>> guess. I am not sure what % survival estimates, phonograph historians > >>>> place > >>>> on models where the actual production output is known. > >>>> > >>>> Bruce > >>>> ----- Original Message ----- > >>>> From: " ny victrolaman " < victrolaman @ gmail .com> > >>>> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@ oldcrank .org> > >>>> Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 10:33:07 PM > >>>> Subject: [Phono-L] Edison Army & Navy > >>>> > >>>> Does anyone have any idea how many Edison Army & Navy phonographs were > >>>> made > >>>> during World War I, and how many might still exist? How hard would it be > >>>> to > >>>> find one in good (preferably original) condition, and what should one > >>>> expect > >>>> to pay for one? > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> Phono-L mailing list > >>>> http ://phono-l. oldcrank .org > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> Phono-L mailing list > >>>> http ://phono-l. oldcrank .org > >>>> > >>>> This email message and any attachments may contain confidential > >>>> information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are prohibited > >>>> from > >>>> using the information in any way, including but not limited to > >>>> disclosure > >>>> of, copying, forwarding or acting in reliance on the contents. If you > >>>> have > >>>> received this email by error, please immediately notify me by return > >>>> email > >>>> and delete it from your email system. Thank you. > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> Phono-L mailing list > >>>> http ://phono-l. oldcrank .org > >>>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> Phono-L mailing list > >>> http ://phono-l. oldcrank .org > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Phono-L mailing list > >> http ://phono-l. oldcrank .org > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Phono-L mailing list > > http ://phono-l. oldcrank .org > > _______________________________________________ > > Phono-L mailing list > > http ://phono-l. oldcrank .org > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Phono-L mailing list > > http ://phono-l. oldcrank .org > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http ://phono-l. oldcrank .org > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > This email message and any attachments may contain confidential information. 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