Edison Army and Navy Phonograph (Model A&N)

[Edisoniac]

Greetings:  I am the owner of an Edison Army and Navy phonograph purchased by a fellow Canadian out of Ohio around 2013ish.

 

I have since done extensive research on this model of which very little information has been uncovered.  They were produced for an 18 month period ranging from July 1917 until Armistice was declared  in November 1918.  No production numbers have survived as per the Edison Laboratories Archivist but I I have begun to build an inventory of serial numbers for this rare model with 12 numbers thus far.  Very few made it back to North America as they were left on the battlefields of France and elsewhere.

 

Are there any members of the APSF who would like to contribute any known serial numbers for the A&N Model?.  At the end of this project once I obtain a more critical mass of serial numbers to confirm my hypothesis regarding production number ranges, I will be glad to share this information with forum membership as Rene did with the Opera serial numbers.

 

Let me know if you can help or know serial numbers I can add.

 

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Thanks !

 

Philip Jorre de St-Jorre

 

 

 

 

[Valecnik]

I have one A&N, not currently accessible, but I would be happy to share with you in about 3 weeks.  ?

 

[Edisoniac]

Hi there:  That would be great.  The challenge with the A&N is no one really knows the survival rate.  There are the ones that made it back home in 1918 from France mostly in small numbers due to the cost of shipping, and then there are the better condition ones found domestically that never saw war arena since they were in recruit offices, drill halls, etc.  I greatly appreciate this and I will promise to share my results.  So far the range lies between #1000 and #3280 so I am speculating they could not have made many more than 2,500 units but we will have to see based on adding more serial numbers if this theory continues to stand up.

 

Please find attached my published research on my own A&N which I hope you find helpful.  Apart from tiny bits of information from what is in the George Frow book, there is not much information out there on the Edison A&N.

 

Thanks again.

 

Philip Jorre de St-Jorre

101936517_AntiquePhonographNewsletterNov-Dec2014.pdf

[RodPickett]

A quick search of the APS Library / Content reflected the following period publications in which the Army Navy Model was referenced, usually regarding a popular personality donating a machine to a worthy cause.  No s/n’s identified, however.

 

If you have not yet seen these, you may download and review from the Library / Content menu, using the Alpha index.

 

Advertising_Miscellaneous_2.pdf

Edison Amberola Monthly Period Newsletter-VOL XV-08.pdf

Edison Amberola Monthly Period Newsletter-VOL XV-09.pdf

Edison Amberola Monthly Period Newsletter-VOL XV-10.pdf

[Solophoneman]

I have an Edison Army Navy Phonograph with a serial number of 2,934. 

[phonogfp]

I have Edison A/N #3197.  Before that, I owned #1593.  Both of these were olive green (I've never seen a grey one).

 

George P.

[marcapra]

I own two Army Navy models.  One of them saw front line action at Field Hospital 341 in southeastern France.  FH 341 is stamped in red on the sides and some of the 40 DDs that came with it have Capt. Snyder FH 341 scratched into the dead wax.  I bought the machine from Captain Snyder's grandson.  I may have already given you my serial numbers, but if not I will send them to you tomorrow.  

[Oregonian]

I own a very nice Army & Navy model.  It does not appear to have had any hard use.  It's tagged "special 2629".  

 

Jerry B.

[kevin]

Picked one up a couple of months ago here in Southern California.  My number is 2436.  I'm missing the reported oil can, extra spring drum and reproducer storage box.  Be nice to have some scaled & detailed photos of the reproducer box.  Thanks.  

[Oregonian]

Has anyone seen one in Navy colors?  Thanks.

 

[kevin]

Though I’ve been collecting phonographs for 30 years, I’m relatively new to this machine. I have not seen one in Navy gray in my brief research.
I’d like to see how the tonearm was tethered to the two screws and cleat on the right side of the machine. 

[phonogfp]

Technically - and most important, legally - the Edison Disc Phonograph had no tone arm.  Victor controlled the patent for the tapering tone arm, so Edison engineers designed a sound passage that consisted only of a reproducer and horn.

 

Here's a picture of the horn tethered to the cleats for transport.  I added a closeup.)  There's also a picture of the accessory box with oil, oil can, grease, and a can of graphite.  An extra mainspring (not shown) is mounted in the left rear corner.

 

Note that the motor compartment and inner surfaces of the accessory box are painted grey; the box with a pretty sloppy overcoat of army green.  This suggests that some inventoried grey A&N cases were repainted green due to the disparity in demand.

 

George P.

 

 

 

[DallasParke]

Are you still looking for serial numbers? I just bought one and wondering if this thread is still active. 

[JETBOARDKEVIN]

Sure. Love to see photos and any story behind it as well. Thanks

[marcapra]

After a delay of over a year, I finally remembered this post.  I sold one of my Army Navy Edisons to a friend, so I will get that serial number later.  My serial number for an Army Navy that saw verified front line WWI service in Field Hospital 341 in south eastern France, just west of Germany, is 1429.  Did Edison serial numbers start with 1 or 1001?  

[Valecnik]

33 minutes ago, marcapra said:

After a delay of over a year, I finally remembered this post.  I sold one of my Army Navy Edisons to a friend, so I will get that serial number later.  My serial number for an Army Navy that saw verified front line WWI service in Field Hospital 341 in south eastern France, just west of Germany, is 1429.  Did Edison serial numbers start with 1 or 1001?  

Please share some pictures if posssible Mark,  A&N machines that can be verified as having been to Europe are especially interesting in my opinion.

 

[marcapra]

Yes, I will and maybe a video of it playing.  I have the 40 records that came with it.  All of these records are pre-1918, except one, which is a Lopez and Hamilton Kings of Harmony DD from 1920.  It looks like Captain Snyder kept the machine, but did not continue to buy Edison records past 1920.  I did a big write up on this machine a few years ago, and someone chimed in with detailed info on where it was stationed in WWI.  I think I posted it here, so I will search for it.  

Edited August 27, 2023 by marcapra

[JETBOARDKEVIN]

Looking forward to the photos and video. 

[marcapra]

Correction on my Army Navy model.  It was stationed in Field Hospital 351, not 341.  

[marcapra]

As requested, here are some pics of my Edison Army Navy that went to the front line in WWI. As you can see, I am missing some of the orginal hardware.  I had to buy a parts Army Navy just to get that pull latch on the turntable.  I included one the DD's that the owner, Capt. Snyder, scratched into the dead wax.  Besides his name, he wrote F.H.C.  351.  The DD shown released in 1917 is #50388 LIsten to This-One Step/ Ole Virginny-One Step by the Jaudas Society orch.  

[JETBOARDKEVIN]

Very nice. I had to braze my broken hasp back together. I can’t remember if you mentioned that the machine has the grease, oil can, and extra spring barrel down below the motor.  Good job saving its life though. Not many around. 

[marcapra]

I do have the extra spring barrel, but don't have the grease, oil can, or graphite.  I do have the wooden box that those things came in though.  If you can make out the FH 351 scratched into the record and the 351 FH stenciled on the cabinet in several places, that's what connects these records to this machine.  Capt. Snyder's taste in music tended toward the ragtime and upbeat dance numbers, not the heart songs or semi classical.  That was probably meant to cheer up the wounded.  

[shoshani]

George Frow's book on Diamond Disc phonographs and records also includes a picture of Edison's personal Diamond Disc machine - I believe he had one in New Jersey and one in Florida. Its basically the inner works (horn/reproducer, motor/motorboard) surrounded by a bare-bones wooden frame with a hole drilled (no escutcheon) for the crank in a side panel.  I sometimes think that the Army/Navy was based on that - something similar, but with a more "consumer-appealing" cabinet.  (The felt on TAE's turntable also isn't trimmed, whereas the felt on the Army/Navy is...)

[JETBOARDKEVIN]

Sounds functional, but not going to win any beauty contest. 

[marcapra]

Of course, they were meant for the front line, not the parlor.