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Berliner Gramophone made in Philadelphia
DesignedSummary
Object No.
94/57/1Object Statement
Gramophone and accessories, with records (4), hand wound, various materials, made by Berliner Gramophone Co, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, 1893-1896Physical Description
Hand cranked gramophone with a wooden base, the base has four metal feet. Metal hand crank with a brown Bakelite handle linked to a triple pulley, this mechanism is set on a decorated painted metal stand. The hand crank is linked to the cast fly wheel via a black neoprene belt. The fly wheel turns the cast metal disc platter that is covered on the top with green felt. The platter is held out of playing position by a small rubber washer. A metal reproducer slips through a metal loop at the end of a wooden arm, to a leather elbow joint that holds the black and gold painted metal horn. The horn rest on a metal support at the other end of the wooden arm. This whole arm set-up slips into a hollow Bakelite stand via a pivoted metal prong on one end of the arm. The other end of the arm, with the reproducer, rests on a metal stand when the gramophone is not in use.The gramophone is stored in a wooden box that has a hinged lid and two metal swing hook and eye locks at the front.
The instruction booklet is printed in black on white paper, stapled at the spine, 8 pages in English text. Title: 'BERLINER/Gramophone/Directions/For Assembling and Operating the seven-inch/Hand Gramophone'.
With the booklet is a small advertising leaflet printed on white paper, this has a sketch of a gramophone and product information: 'The Berliner/Gramophone'.
A handwritten label on white paper that is mounted on grey cardboard for the Berliner Gramophone, presumably made by the donor, Ralph Meyer.
There are four seven inch record discs made of black shellac in paper record covers, they are all recorded on one side only and have patent information impressed on them. 'The Friar of Orders Gray/By/G W Broderick' has a white paper record cover. 'Saxophone & Clarinet Duett/Polka Variata/Jean B H Moeremans/[Jacqbain Pouche}' has a green record cover. 'Canadian Medley March/By The Members Of/Sousa's Band' has a green record cover. 'Kentucky Babe/Sung By/Haydn Quartette' also has a green cover.
Marks
Makers plate on gramophone: BERLINER/GRAMOPHONE/CO/PHILADELPHIA, PA.Impressed on record discs other than title and performer: E. BERLINER'S/GRAMOPHONE/Patened Nov, 8. 1887/May 15, 1888 - May 6. 1890/Feb'y. 19. 1895 - Oct 29. 1895/OTHER PATENTS APPLIED FOR.Short URL
https://ma.as/141566Dimensions
Height
385 mmWidth
370 mmProduction
Designed
Made
Notes
Berliner Gramophone Co were the first to produce disc records commercially and this was the only machine available to play them. At this period Edison was experimenting with wax cylinders.This machine is considered one of the foremost examples of the earliest talking machines produced. Patented in 1887, demonstrated in 1888, it was originally made in Germany as a toy in 1889. It was first manufactured commercially in 1893, in Washington and then in Philadelphia.
Units made before 1893 were marked Washington not Philadelphia.
History
Used
Owned
Owned
Notes
Ralph Meyer purchased the gramophone in 1986, he had displayed the assembled gramophone in a glass case in his home till he donated it to the museum.The early history of this machine is not known. It entered the phonograph collection of Warren Trexler in about 1958. It remained there until the early 80s when Mr Trexler died. The Berliner was auctioned in March 1984 and was purchased by Mark S Kaplan, a dealer who operated a company in New York called Musique. Kaplan sold the machine to Ralph Meyer in December 1986.
Source
Credit Line
Gift of Mr Ralph Meyer & Mrs Ellen Meyer, 1994Acquisition Date
14 February 1994Cite this Object
Harvard
Berliner Gramophone made in Philadelphia 2021, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, accessed 27 September 2021, <https://ma.as/141566>Wikipedia
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