Columbia AA Graphophone

[Tinfoilphono]

The AA came up in passing in an unrelated thread on the other forum recently. Rather than hijack that thread, I thought I'd start a new one here in praise of the diminutive Type AA Graphophone.

 

I absolutely love this tiny machine. It's almost ridiculously beautiful, with its very ornate cabinet, highly nickeled bedplate, damaskeened gear cover, and bright nickel horn. It offered a lot of class for its modest price of $18. It's basically an upscaled Type B 'Eagle,' but the extra $6 really elevated it to a high level. What's not to love?

 

Yet it is quite underappreciated today, in my opinion. It's surprisingly scarce, it's incredibly pretty, but it doesn't seem to get much love.

 

I display mine in the dining room, where I get to enjoy its elegance every evening. I also have an original photograph of a bicycle dealer who, like many, had a sideline selling Graphophones or Phonographs. The calendar dates this image to May 1902.

 

Edited Sunday at 04:50 PM by Tinfoilphono

[AtRicky1]

Absolutely stunning. I feel a new hobby starting....

[Roaring20s]

Phonograph aside, that Photograph is stunning!

 

James.

[RodPickett]

Yes, and you have a nice “selfie” reflected in the horn; however, in seeing the photo of the dealer, he looks like a bad “hombre” – a guy you wouldn’t want to mess with.

[phonogfp]

Rene, we have much the same taste!  

 

I wrote an article on the lovely Type AA for The Antique Phonograph back in 2020.  Here it is:

 

 

GraphoAAart.pdf

[chucka]

Rene,

 

Had to show off my AA. Picked it up years ago with original manual and original tags on motor and upper works. I don't think it was ever sold and if it was the buyer must have

never used it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tag on the left was attached to the governor with a rubber band

 

 

[Tinfoilphono]

That is truly remarkable! 

[KentinKC]

I've always loved Columbia's and the AA is very special.  Mine is kinda buried in a display and this thread might make me find another more prominent area!

 

[RodPickett]

A 7 Minute Overview

 

[Jerry]

The AA is a favorite of mine as well. The cabinet design is very nice for a diminutive machine. Fancier than one would expect. From a collector's point of view, it's small size also makes it easier to fit into a collection already bursting from its display area. I was first drawn to it by admiring a very nice example, which sat on the fireplace mantel in a good friend's home. After years of admiring it, the thought finally dawned on me that I could buy one of my own! I did so several years ago. I'll post some pictures later...

 

 

Edited Monday at 11:27 PM by Jerry

[chucka]

Jerry,

 

From the looks of your pictures, it appears we have similar problems. Too much stuff and not enough room, Every flat surface is used including the floor.

 

Chuck

 

[Tinfoilphono]

Jerry's and Chuck's pictures bring up an interesting question. I see that both are fitted with a D reproducer. Mine also came with a D, but I swapped it out for a No. 2 'Eagle' since that is supposedly the only correct option. That said, while Hazelcorn stated that in his book, his photo shows a D.

 

In my case I assumed the D was a later upgrade by the original owner. But is it possible that Hazelcorn was wrong, and these were (at some point) sold with a D? Mine is in amazing original condition, including the belt and horn. So perhaps the reproducer that I got with it is correct. 

[chucka]

Not knowing what the range of serial numbers the AA used it's impossible to tell what is early or late. Early production may have used the #2. I have seen early HG's with #2 reproducers instead

of the #4 or #5 normally seen.

 

My # 712251.  What is yours Rene & Jerry? For that matter anyone else want to chime in with your serial number and what reproducer you have?

 

Mine came with original papers with no dates anywhere, It was sold by International Correspondence School by the sticker on the original envelope. So I guess it's late,

possibly sold off by Columbia when they obsoleted the model. 

 

Chuck

 

[Tinfoilphono]

Mine is 703010, so much earlier but still well into the production run, which (according to Howard Hazelcorn) started at 70,000).

[yamaphone]

My Columbia AA serial number is 713055. It has a somewhat darker stained case, and the smaller " The Graphophone" decal. It has the ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION 1904 decal on the back of the cabinet. The reproducer is the model D which I believe is the original as the thumbscrew point fits right into the dent on the tube part of the carriage.

I think that maybe after this model was dropped from the Columbia catalog, the Company continued to use up parts and cabinets until they were exhausted and sold them through catalog stores such as Sears, Roebuck & Co..

Dan Zalewski

[Tinfoilphono]

It's looking like this is ripe for further study, so I am going to start a census of surviving machines. I'll also post on the TMF forum. If you don't mind, please let me know the following information, either in this post or by email to rene@rondeau.net:

 

-- serial number

-- reproducer (D or Eagle)

-- decal size (large or small)

-- last date of award decal on back (if present)

-- type of horn

 

I will log all the information and see if there are any patterns to be uncovered. I will happily keep owner's information confidential if you want.

 

Thanks in advance!

[chucka]

3 hours ago, Tinfoilphono said:

Mine is 703010, so much earlier but still well into the production run, which (according to Howard Hazelcorn) started at 70,000).

Rene,

 

Did you miss a zero? I doubt they made 200,000 AA's

 

Chuck

 

[Jerry]

My AA, shown in my post above....

 

S/N 702400
D Reproducer
Large decal
NO decal on rear panel
10" nickel horn

 

[Tinfoilphono]

1 hour ago, chucka said:

Rene,

 

Did you miss a zero? I doubt they made 200,000 AA's

 

Chuck

 

No, it's correct. They are all 6 digits. My mistake -- I misquoted Howard, who wrote that they started at 700,101, not 70,000.

[RodPickett]

According to a 1902 Columbia Machine Catalog in the APS Library, the improved reproducer Model "D" was "now furnished as regular equipment" on their entire Graphophone lineup (although AA not listed), with a further disclaimer the the Model D was NOT suitable for the "Q" types. 

 

Owners could exchange their older reproducers for the Model D for $2.00.

 

 

 

[phonogfp]

S/N 712244
Eagle Reproducer
Large decal
1900 Awards decal on rear panel
10" nickel horn

 

George P.

 

 

 

[chucka]

Well Rene our idea about what reproducer was used by early or late production went south with George's AA. His is only  5 numbers lower than mine and has the #2 reproducer. 

If the serial number is an indication of production they were made on the same day.  It sort of confirms the thought that Columbia used whatever was in the parts bin.

 

Also my rear decal is the same with 1900 date. 

 

Chuck

 

[phonogfp]

Chuck, keep in mind that the original owner may have upgraded from the #2 Eagle Reproducer to the D1 or D2.  It would have made good sense at the time.

 

George P.

[Tinfoilphono]

Thanks to everyone for that information. I hope we can get much more.

 

At this point I have only 12 numbers recorded, so too little to make absolute conclusions. But what is already clear is that D reproducers outnumber Eagle by 9 to 3. The lowest number on file has a D, while the third highest has an Eagle.  So clearly this is inconsistent. I did some Googling and found several AAs, but only a couple had serial numbers listed. However, the majority of pictures I found show a D reproducer, so in reality they outnumber the Eagle by even more than I document by serial number.

 

The D was available by 1902 as an extra-cost upgrade to owners of any Graphophone other than the Q. So anyone could have taken their original Eagle and replaced it with a D, either in the early 1900s or as recently as yesterday. 

 

Consequently I suspect that this exercise will be inconclusive. It was (and still is) far too easy to replace a reproducer. I can only speculate that these (at least early ones) originally had Eagles. It's probable that later ones were sold with D, but even that isn't a certainty. The catalog entry doesn't specifically mention AA so that remains an open question. It is likely that many owners upgraded.  And the fact that the third highest number I have on file, with a very high number, has an Eagle makes it clear that there we can't document a cutoff date where Columbia switched from one to the other. Anyone may have swapped an original D for an earlier Eagle in modern times.

 

There's also a discrepancy in rear decals. The lowest number I have listed shows a 1900 decal, but the next 3 are blank. Then decals appear, except (apparently) the third from highest, which is blank. That  could simply mean someone swapped the case in modern times. No way to know, though if we could get a LOT more numbers it might help reveal the truth.

[melvind]

Here is my info. The only thing I wonder about is that the crank is all black. The others seem to be nickel.

 

-- serial number: 712187

— reproducer:  Eagle

-- decal size: large 

-- last date of award decal on back: 1900

-- type of horn: 10 inch nickel