Antique radios "Gotta have"

[Rob]

Those are great!
I was not aware (despite my Indiana childhood) of the battery powered sets.

[eb2]

Seems like just a few years back you could score a Farm set on CL for peanuts, but they're scarce and pricey now.  In the rural upper Midwest it's not uncommon to see the whizzer chargers on poles still. They were wind mill chargers for Dc farm radios if you didn't pull the tractor battery. I learned tube guitar amp stuff from an antique radio guy. You can find out anything at antiqueradios.com.

[Pilgrim]

My early 1900's Victrola...been in the family (via my dad) for 66 years that I know of, before that it was at my Grandfather's house. I believe he bought it new.



You can see the crank handle laying inside the speaker horn area...the rest is stacks of old 78s. One of them has "The Ballad of Floyd Collins". If you don't recognize the name, Google it.





There's a classy emblem for you:

[Grog]

It looks to be pretty much the same model as mine, slightly different stain. Years ago, I was in an antique store. A vendor had an old portrait of the Victor Talking Machine trademark. You can't really see it unless somebody points it out to you, but it's a portrait of a dog on his masters coffin. The sound reproduction was said to be so lifelike that the dog would recognize "His Masters Voice". Also, these players were considered to be musical instruments. I read somewhere that the Musicians Union didn't approve of them, they took work away from musicians. 70 years before Disco!
Thanks for posting the photos!

[Pilgrim]

Yup, I'm sure it's the same model - there can't have been that many.

Years ago my family had a tabletop cylinder player with the "witch's hat" speaker.  I have no idea where it went.

[Grog]

I always intended to buy a table top model. I planned on waiting until the kids grew up so it wouldn't get knock around. Never got around to it though. The morning glory horns are way cool!

[Pilgrim]

Ours was similar to this....