I took some pictures of this phono, maybe someone can finally tell me something about it. Thanx, Kevin
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/3792/topveiwox5.jpg
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/6883 ... iewpa8.jpg
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/7803/biddle1qj9.jpg
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4104 ... idetu0.jpg
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/1552/closedviewmr3.jpg
Suplee Biddle Phono
Q&A about Talking Machines from the pre-electronic era (approx. 1885-1928).
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Joe_DS
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Re: Suplee Biddle Phono
by Joe_DS » Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:40 pm
Thanks for posting the jumps to the photos.
It almost has a homemade appearance. In style, it's more like the "camera phones" which were popular during the teens and 1920s, but fitted with smaller components. They were about the size of a box camera, and often, the tone arm, which was removable, would be fitted to a holder on the lid, where a small horn was attached.
Along that line, what I find interesting is that your machine does not have a horn, but relies on the sound to be reflected from the flat surface of the lid, directly from the tone arm. Normally, a phonograph this size would have either been fitted with an internal horn, or would have used some type of reflector chamber installed in the lid. (Google Decca portable phonograph, to see what this looks like.)
I recognize the tone arm & sound box, though can't say, off hand, who the manufacturer was. I remember they were a generic phonograph parts supplier, and a number of different brand machines used their components during the early to mid-1920s.
I'm afraid there may not be a lot of detailed information available about this. Many of these off-brand type phonographs had very short production runs; sometimes, only a single run. As noted in my earlier post, it wasn't unusual for a company, such as a department store, etc., to offer it's own version of a "store brand" phonograph produced by an outside manufacturer. In some cases, these were actually given away as a promotional item, or were sold for a nominal amount--normally a couple of dollars.
Oftentimes, the best source for information about these one-off type products are newspaper and magazine ads from the period. I'm not sure if he could add anything to this, but you may want to try getting in touch with RJ Wakeman, via the contact jump on this site -->
http://www.gracyk.com/makers.shtml
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It almost has a homemade appearance. In style, it's more like the "camera phones" which were popular during the teens and 1920s, but fitted with smaller components. They were about the size of a box camera, and often, the tone arm, which was removable, would be fitted to a holder on the lid, where a small horn was attached.
Along that line, what I find interesting is that your machine does not have a horn, but relies on the sound to be reflected from the flat surface of the lid, directly from the tone arm. Normally, a phonograph this size would have either been fitted with an internal horn, or would have used some type of reflector chamber installed in the lid. (Google Decca portable phonograph, to see what this looks like.)
I recognize the tone arm & sound box, though can't say, off hand, who the manufacturer was. I remember they were a generic phonograph parts supplier, and a number of different brand machines used their components during the early to mid-1920s.
I'm afraid there may not be a lot of detailed information available about this. Many of these off-brand type phonographs had very short production runs; sometimes, only a single run. As noted in my earlier post, it wasn't unusual for a company, such as a department store, etc., to offer it's own version of a "store brand" phonograph produced by an outside manufacturer. In some cases, these were actually given away as a promotional item, or were sold for a nominal amount--normally a couple of dollars.
Oftentimes, the best source for information about these one-off type products are newspaper and magazine ads from the period. I'm not sure if he could add anything to this, but you may want to try getting in touch with RJ Wakeman, via the contact jump on this site -->
http://www.gracyk.com/makers.shtml
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