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Thanks for posting the link, great info!

Wow, Dan. I'm so glad you bought that record and did this video showing it off! The sound quality is superb, and I loved the graphics (especially the variety of colorful Columbia sleeves)! What will you do next???

Very interesting! Thanks for posting. This is the first and only time I ever heard “Vallee” pronounced like “valet.” Usually it’s “valley.” Note, also, that he sings the lyric “…let’s go to bed,” but on the label, it’s “…let’s go to sleep.” Quite a distinction there! Rudy spiced it up a bit. How many remember Kate Smith? Some of us old-timers recall that her recording of “God Bless America” was played at Philadelphia Flyers hockey games. I played trombone in the stage band that accompanied her when she appeared at the Allentown Fair back in the early 1970s. She didn’t read a note of music, but boy, she had an ego to match her considerable bulk. You meet all kinds in the music business.

Most welcome, Rene. I like these odd records. I found it at the Midwest APS expo.

What a fascinating record! I was not aware of this one. These must be super-rare given the incredibly limited distribution. And great video presentation as well. Thanks for posting this.

In light of the Gem being equipped with the 19-inch black flower horn as of October 1907, and virtually all subsequent Gem Bs and Cs (ICS machines excepted) being so equipped, it's HIGHLY unlikely that the factory would have shipped a Gem D (introduced in October 1909) with a 10" conical horn. Gems were never factory-shipped with "witches hat" horns. George P.

Hello, Has there ever been a documented case where a Red/Maroon GEM has been factory shipped with a small black horn, whether witch hat or conical? (anything other than red etc) Or have they only been supplied with the mutli-panel red versions. I'd wish I could find pictures to support this. Wayne

I've posted quite a few videos over the last couple of weeks. Perhaps too many in such a short time frame. But, I had some interesting and rare records I just wanted to share. This one is a record intended to entice record store dealers to purchase and sell the new 1932 Columbia Royal Blue records. I always find these specialized records fun to hear. In this case you see how a company it trying to get new business right in the middle of the 1930s Great Depression. I hope some of you enjoy this as much as I do.

An excellent teaching aid, Mark! George P.

I posted this in other Forums, but also wanted to share it here. So, I am sure some of you are asking WHY??? Here is the background. Every 2 years, the Hoosier Antique Phonograph Society (HAPS) is invited to Rose-Hulman to participation in Dr. David Chapman’s class, MUSI H204 – Popular Music and Recorded Sound with an all-day phonograph meet & greet. This September will be 12 years and every time we are there, the interest and questions get more intense. Last time we were there, I took a Columbia 820 and there was an amazing amount of interest in the sound reproduction and design of a Folded Horn. Not unexpected from an Engineering school. Although they could comprehend how this design works, a visual would have really helped. So, thanks to Ken Brekke for provide a horn, I have finally had time to get this all put together for the upcoming event. This is cut right down the middle. Then I cut the other half across the middle. Showing the internals of the phonographs lets them experience what is really inside that makes them work without any additional amplification.

What an absolutely amazing setup! I'd love to see/hear a video of it playing ... Must have been the top of the line! Thanks for posting this!!! Marvellous!!!

Awesome!! Thanks a lot Ken!

I sent one.

Wow!!!! Very impressive.

This song was recorded for the 1938 20th Century Fox film "Alexander’s Ragtime Band" with music by Irving Berlin. Berlin also wrote the book (with some other writers). "Alexander's Ragtime Band" was 20th Century Fox's highest grossing film of the 1930s and was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning the award for Best Music, Scoring. I am not sure who the intended audience was for this record. Does anyone know more about how this type of record may have been used? Leave comments if so. The YouTube video comments has more information on the label that made the record.

A full life!! Amazing memories!!! Thanks for the video!

You can access the following link, a combination of documents, that describe the Special Series Wax Amberols, including the rare "Hebrew selections", associated with 2/4 minute upgrade offers as well as the "Special D" series promotion campaign for recommending an Edison phonograph to a friend. This document contains segments from Copyrighted works, used with permission. SUMMARY

I will warn you, this record is very worn and blasty sounding. But it is such a rare record I just had to transfer it and show it to those who are interested. The Sunrise label from early 1930s was started as an RCA Victor budget label along with a few others shown in the video.

SOLD!

MODEL: Columbia Washington Model A SERIAL #: 54727 YEARS MADE: Late 1890's COST: Graphophone $25, Grand Cabinet $50 CASE/CABINET SIZE: H & S Grand Roll Top Desk TURNTABLE: N/A REPRODUCER: No.2 MOTOR: Single Spring HORN DIMENSIONS: Various REPRODUCTION PARTS: None CURRENT VALUE: Empty cabinet needing some work recently sold at auction for $3500 INTERESTING FACTS : I purchased this cabinet many years ago and as a lot of them the phono was missing and the hole in the top was covered by a piece of heavy cardboard. It was advertised as a writing desk. The pegs were missing as was the normal thing to do on cylinder cabinets that was repurposed. It took a while to decide which model machine that would fit the cutout. The Model A turned out to be the best fit in the cutout as well as the alignment of the very long crank. When these cabinets were ordered the buyer specified what model machine was going to be installed in it so the factory could cut out the opening and any other holes that needed to be drilled out. I have seen these with Model C and Grand models as well as the smaller A sizes installed, the cabinets that were for Grand machines had pegs for the 5" records installed. This model was the top of the line cabinet at $50, more than the nonpareil cabinet with the glass top cover. It was available in oak or for a little more money in mahogany. (Some of you may recognize this from the other forum. I posted it a few years ago but as a lot of the pictures have disappeared I decided to re-post it here.) ChuckA

Thank you for posting this video. A lot of old familiar faces. A lot of familiar faces that were much younger than they are now. In fact, I am even in the video at 7:48. I believe I was about 22 years old at the time. ( I am now 61!) Great memories! Thanks again. Mike Wohl

Sold

Thanks, everyone, for the nice compliments! I must say, moving all of that, emptying many of the cabinets, sometimes disassembling them, hauling everything up a lengthy flight of stairs, transporting it all three blocks, then reassembling and repositioning for the optimal setup, certainly proved that my dedication to the hobby remains steadfast! And to all of you visitors from the West Coast, or from anywhere else for that matter, you’re more than welcome to come see it!😀

A very seldom-seen Graphophone! That's an interesting 2/4-minute attachment too. Thanks for posting, Chuck! George P.

Oh, that's choice! That text narration is classic old-time radio announcer stuff. And the miraculous "Victrola attachment" has the marvelous ability to convert the Blue Danube waltz into a polka! Amazing! Many thanks for posting!