1901 Zon - O - Phone Parlor Phonograph W/Orig. All - Brass Horn
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:4317371 |
We're half-way through the summer, and I'm still pulling great stuff out of the vault in an effort to keep you happy. I've got wind-up phonographs that will make you wild-eyed and antique gadgetry that will make you wish you'd been born 150 years ago. So check it all out. And don't forget, you can add me to your favorite seller list and Ebay will automatically send you updates when I put similar new auctions online.
Here's a 1901 Zon-O-Phone Parlor phonograph manufact...ured by the Universal Talking Machine Co. in New York. This scarce front-mount phonograph was made at a tumultuous time in the history of pre-recorded sound. Disc phonograph pioneer Emile Berliner, no longer allowed to sell his Gramophone in the United States, had just finished moving his North American headquarters to Montreal, and Eldridge Johnson, a former engineer for Berliner and now the President of the Victor Talking Machine Company, was in the process of launching a phonograph Goliath that would soon catch up to and eventually overtake all other competitors.
As you can see, this early Parlor is beautiful. It's been professionally restored -- cosmetically and mechanically. The cabinet was refinished, the metal bed was re-plated, and the motor was re-built. A few high quality replica parts (reproducer, traveling arm, horn support wire), all pretty much indistinguishable from the originals.
Bedplate is in outstanding condition, with clean nickel-plating and no pitting or oxidation. Traveling arm and support arm are likewise in outstanding condition. Turntable is excellent, with clean felt and no rust around the rim. The original traction pin is present, though it is not sprung. It is flush to the surface of the turntable.
The crank is original, it's the correct crank for this machine, and in it's in excellent condition, with some mild oxidation but no flaking. The Concert V reproducer is a thirty-five year old replica with enough patina and surface oxidation around the rim of the diaphragm to render it almost indistinguishable from an original Concert V. The needle-bar is in good shape, and the mica is undamaged.
The horn is clean, and it's in excellent condition, with an original elbow that's securely soldered to the nozzle. Nice caramel patina, with no dings, no dents, no veining.
Motor, governor and related gearing are all in good condition. The brake works, the governor works, and the machine plays fine considering its age and mechanical limitations (the same found on any Berliner era talking machine).
Cabinet is beautiful, decals are crisp, and the finish is smooth to the touch. There are no gouges in the wood, no separating corner joints, no issues. Original owner's name is written in pencil on the underside of the baseboard.
I've been selling and shipping antique phonographs, antique radios and antique scientific apparatus for more than 25 years. When you purchase an antique phonograph from me, you'll receive a phonograph that arrives safely because it's been carefully packed (by me, not by some well-intentioned but nonetheless confounded, doe-eyed teenager working at the UPS store who wouldn't know a phonograph from a farm tool), and you'll receive a phonograph that includes thorough but easy-to-understand set-up and operating instructions, so you won't be left scratching your head, trying to figure out how it works. Sure, you can probably get a lower price from Joe and Janet Barn-Find, but when your "bargain" arrives broken, and without any hint of how it works or how you might be able to put it back together, you'll realize that you really do get exactly what you pay for.
That's about it. I will carefully prep everything for shipping and pack everything carefully and properly. Overseas bidders, please contact me in advance for a shipping quote and for my confirmation that I can ship it to you. The phonograph will be expensive to ship, as it will need to go out in two large packages (phonograph in one package; horn in the other). Auction participants with no prior feedback history, or with hidden feedback, should contact me before placing a bid. Buyer prepays and includes shipping.
Here's a 1901 Zon-O-Phone Parlor phonograph manufact...ured by the Universal Talking Machine Co. in New York. This scarce front-mount phonograph was made at a tumultuous time in the history of pre-recorded sound. Disc phonograph pioneer Emile Berliner, no longer allowed to sell his Gramophone in the United States, had just finished moving his North American headquarters to Montreal, and Eldridge Johnson, a former engineer for Berliner and now the President of the Victor Talking Machine Company, was in the process of launching a phonograph Goliath that would soon catch up to and eventually overtake all other competitors.
As you can see, this early Parlor is beautiful. It's been professionally restored -- cosmetically and mechanically. The cabinet was refinished, the metal bed was re-plated, and the motor was re-built. A few high quality replica parts (reproducer, traveling arm, horn support wire), all pretty much indistinguishable from the originals.
Bedplate is in outstanding condition, with clean nickel-plating and no pitting or oxidation. Traveling arm and support arm are likewise in outstanding condition. Turntable is excellent, with clean felt and no rust around the rim. The original traction pin is present, though it is not sprung. It is flush to the surface of the turntable.
The crank is original, it's the correct crank for this machine, and in it's in excellent condition, with some mild oxidation but no flaking. The Concert V reproducer is a thirty-five year old replica with enough patina and surface oxidation around the rim of the diaphragm to render it almost indistinguishable from an original Concert V. The needle-bar is in good shape, and the mica is undamaged.
The horn is clean, and it's in excellent condition, with an original elbow that's securely soldered to the nozzle. Nice caramel patina, with no dings, no dents, no veining.
Motor, governor and related gearing are all in good condition. The brake works, the governor works, and the machine plays fine considering its age and mechanical limitations (the same found on any Berliner era talking machine).
Cabinet is beautiful, decals are crisp, and the finish is smooth to the touch. There are no gouges in the wood, no separating corner joints, no issues. Original owner's name is written in pencil on the underside of the baseboard.
I've been selling and shipping antique phonographs, antique radios and antique scientific apparatus for more than 25 years. When you purchase an antique phonograph from me, you'll receive a phonograph that arrives safely because it's been carefully packed (by me, not by some well-intentioned but nonetheless confounded, doe-eyed teenager working at the UPS store who wouldn't know a phonograph from a farm tool), and you'll receive a phonograph that includes thorough but easy-to-understand set-up and operating instructions, so you won't be left scratching your head, trying to figure out how it works. Sure, you can probably get a lower price from Joe and Janet Barn-Find, but when your "bargain" arrives broken, and without any hint of how it works or how you might be able to put it back together, you'll realize that you really do get exactly what you pay for.
That's about it. I will carefully prep everything for shipping and pack everything carefully and properly. Overseas bidders, please contact me in advance for a shipping quote and for my confirmation that I can ship it to you. The phonograph will be expensive to ship, as it will need to go out in two large packages (phonograph in one package; horn in the other). Auction participants with no prior feedback history, or with hidden feedback, should contact me before placing a bid. Buyer prepays and includes shipping.
