Accessories & Collectibles Latest Topics

Phonograph Store Photos, 1918 San Francisco

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:25:50 +0000

I picked up a couple of 8x10 glass negatives recently that are just full of phono-goodness! I'm pretty certain both were taken at the same store, which is possibly Hauschildt Music Co. in San Francisco. I've dated both to 1918 and they came out of the same collection of San Francisco building & business negatives.

The first image appears to be the back room "shipping & receiving" station. This picture is full of goodies... posters still in mailers, Victor & Columbia record crates, a couple of machines in crates, and a box of Little Wonder records on the table.

From the sales floor image, I think it's safe to say that table top machines were their bread & butter. Table tops are wrapped & stacked like cord wood on top of the record display cabinet on the upper right. I was really shocked to see a hornless Europa peeking out of its wrapping of the left side of that stack! I believe the fancy Columbia upright is a model 200.

Loran

Christmas Day Greetings From Nipper

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 01:13:58 +0000

Nipper wishes all APS members and Guests on this forum a Very Merry Christmas this morning. Thank you to the APS Board members, the editor and for all the contributions that make this the greatest hobby ever.

Rob & Joan

Well worth the nine hour round trip today.

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:47:36 +0000

A member of our phonograph group emailed about a bowed front record cabinet. I looked at the Marketplace post and noticed it was a Salter record cabinet. I contacted the seller and they said it was already spoken for. I asked to be contacted if the deal fell through. Well to my surprise, the original person that was supposed to come decided to pass on it. Today, I drove a 9 hour round trip to get it. I am amazed how clean and original it is. I had to put it next to my other one and use them for bookends.
Does anyone have an original catalog showing this model record cabinet?

National Phonograph Co. Paper Weight Desk Clock

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 14:42:40 +0000

I've had this for a number of years but have no information on it's background. I thought I would post it here for comment.

It is slightly larger in diameter than a soda can.

Kinetoscope-an invention to do for the eye what the phonograph does for the eye

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 00:55:11 +0000

Some items from my peephole kinetoscope collectables....

Would love to see anything other collectors have..

I will post separately items for projecting kinetoscope and Lyman Howe....

Glass Victor Needle Tray

Sun, 04 May 2025 20:42:53 +0000

A collector friend is downsizing and offered me this glass Victor needle tray for free. I said no to free and gave him what he paid for it years ago. I was back up bidder when he got it. I always loved it. I have never seen anything like it.

Aeolian Vocalion Sewing Machine Key?

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 13:34:54 +0000

I was searching eBay for a key for my 1916-7 Aeolian Vocalion and came upon an Aeolian Sewing Machine Key. See this link for the ad.

aeolian key I was not able to find any info about Aeolian sewing machines. Could this be an error by the seller? Were all Aeolian keys the same? Just want to check before purchasing.

Dealer tags

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 16:56:10 +0000

Melvind's post about an interesting dealer tag in a Victrola made me realize that a thread about dealer tags in general might be fun. I am a huge fan of such tags and decals. Here are some I have at the moment.

Here's a rigid arm Victor R with a Sherman-Clay metal tag (San Francisco):

A Columbia Type AN with one of the most interesting dealer tags I've ever seen:

Columbia Type A with a metal tag for Peter Bacigalupi of San Francisco, with his early address of 946 Market Street:

An Edison Standard with Polyphone attachment, with the more commonly found later Bacigalupi decal. Whoever mounted this one may have been hungover from the night before, as it's tilted rather than straight as is usual:

An early (serial #393) Edison Standard with a metal tag from Murray, Blanchard, Young & Co. of Boston. (I've seen one other Standard with the same tag, except that one was not nickel-plated.):

A Columbia Type B with a cabinet made by Hawthorne & Sheble, with a huge decal to make sure no one could miss it:

What have you got?

Dog Show, Calling All Nippers

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 18:49:16 +0000

The greatest trademark ever, (in my opinion). The first image is of my 3’ tall paper mache Nipper after restoration, (the last image is how he looked when I brought him home). These are all paper mache dogs. Next is an all original 14”, then an original 11”, followed by an, 18” glass eyed Nipper that is in need of restoration, a Boston Terrier that doesn’t really belong here, but he sits on top of my Brunswick and is pretty cool. The last is another restored 11” Nipper, (his front legs were broken off and he was a mess, but the price was right).

I added one more of the finished 3’ Nipper. I did not enjoy that restoration, but I am glad that In did it.

I hope that others will show off their Nippers.

I've combined two of my favorites: Nipper and Paul Harvey

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 07:44:53 +0000

I was such a fan of Paul Harvey growing up. Here a rest of the story involving our favorite fox terrier Nipper....But you already know the rest of the story!!! James Manker

Paul Harvey - Nipper.mp4

First Nipper Search

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 01:39:57 +0000

Hello, all. First post here. I’m not new to Victrolas but I am to Nippers. My wife loves the dogs, I love the machines. We are a two machine family, but I’m going to try to bribe her. I’m trying to find dealer paraphernalia and Nipper (or ten) for her. My understanding is that most around are fakes. Is there any chance someone can quietly point me to any collecting guides on finding original items? Open to all advice…

Penn Phonograph known opera figures

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:23:17 +0000

Comparison of three known opera figures:

Zilotone Clown Music box with clock works spring.

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 01:04:52 +0000

I purchased a toy Zilotone Clown at the Spring Phonograph show. I think it has a broken spring. I know this is not a phonograph Item, but I was wondering if anyone had worked on one of these and could give me some tips before I dive into it.

If this subject is not allowed, I am sorry.

Any information would be greatly appriciated

Blackman Reproducer Attachment

Thu, 14 May 2020 06:42:41 +0000

This unusual attachment was designed to allow a Columbia Floating Reproducer to be used on an Edison Cylinder Machine

Thermometer with Victrola verbiage

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 01:29:22 +0000

An auction closed this evening that included this thermometer.

I just thought I'd post an image of it.

How to hang a Victrola sign.

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 02:59:31 +0000

While we will never make it as professional sign hangers, we were able to get the Victrola sign hung and lighted today. Hanging a 8ft x 3 ft 150 lb Victrola sign 11 feet up on a wall was a bit of a challenge. I am happy to report that the sign and all 3 sign hangers survived the ordeal. A special thanks to Curt Angstman and my very understanding wife - I would have never gotten it up without their help. It is now securely hanging in it’s new home and lighting my music building.

Phonophemera

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 14:27:55 +0000

I have collected so much "phonophemera" over the years so I picked a couple out that may be of some small interest. First is a signed photo-postcard of Vesta Victoria, second is an ad from around 1896 from Frank Seaman's National Gramophone Company in New York. It came nicely framed which was a bonus with what little I paid for it.

Book With Edison Library Seal

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 21:42:51 +0000

I got this book of Longfellow poems at a multi-state yard sale years ago. The interesting thing is that it has the Library of Thomas A. Edison seal. As a bonus there was a carte de visite small period photograph of Longfellow. I have not found any information about this item and was wondering if anyone had some insight into it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Rick

Speaking of Nipper - Huge Nipper project

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 19:51:07 +0000

Penn Phonograph Co. Amelita Galli-Curci character display figure

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 20:15:54 +0000

In 1920 the Penn Phonograph Co which was a wholesaler and jobber for the Victor Talking Machine company created plaster dressed characters to be used in window and store displays at Victor stores. I was lucky enough recently to get an Amelita Galli-Curci figure that I have known about for more than 20 years. This same doll was documented in George Paul and Tim Fabrizio's A World of Antique Phonographs where it got a full page! The December 15, 1920 Talking Machine World magazine has a couple of paragraphs about the release of these figures.

And later in the magaine:

Here are a few pictures of the Galli-Curci figure I have. It is quite elaborately dressed and 35 inches tall. It is heavy and made of plaster. The arms come off if you need to move it around and the feet have bolts in them that connect the figure to a wooden based covered in black material that is quite worn at this point. (Should I recover it with new black velveteen? Should I leave it alone?)

And the best part of all this is her backside has the copyright of 1920 for the Penn Ponograph Co stamped right in it.

The Penn Phonograph Co is probably better known for the 4 inch plaster Nipper Dogs we all love. They sold them to dealers all over the country and even the world. Here are a few ads from the same Talking Machine World magazine for the Nipper Dogs which they call Penn-Victor Dogs.

PLASTER CHARACTER DISPLAY FIGURE

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 19:42:46 +0000

PLEASE HELP ME FINE OUT ABOUT HER, I THINK SHE IS ALICE NIELSEN AS GILDA. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRETIATED

The Lost Victor Archives

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 19:26:29 +0000

I reckon that this is going to fetch a few nickels. Would be neat to see in person.

Bacigalupi

Wed, 20 May 2020 01:22:09 +0000

It has always somewhat mystified me that there is so much interest, nationally and even internationally, in memorabilia from a dealer local to me—Peter Bacigalupi. There is similar, but someone less fanatic, interest in Hawthorne & Sheble, but as for other major dealers of the day (e.g. Lyons & Healy, Kipp Bros., Grinell Bros., Eastern Talking Machine Co., etc.) there's almost no following, other than a common passion for dealer decals and badges—but typically not memorabilia.

Anyway, everyone seems to love Bacigalupi so how about sharing some of your related material?

I'll start with this embossed oil bottle, which is the only one of its kind I have ever heard of.

15 Cylinder Storage Carton

Thu, 04 May 2023 03:29:25 +0000

I bought a bunch of two minute cylinders and this box was part of the deal.

The carton holds 15 records.

The base is wood with cardboard pegs and walls.

The patented dates are stamped on both sides of the wood bottom.

The box has the dry remains of a black cloth tape binding all of its edges.

Searching the patent dates and Talking Machine World has not turned-up anything, as of yet.

Any clues?

James

Edison Indian Head Plaque

Sun, 28 May 2023 00:16:53 +0000

Has anyone ever found one of these? An Edison Portland cement advertising wall plaque.