The Phonograph Collection of James Warner

My dad started collection antique phonographs when he was 14 years old. Those were the days when machines went for $15-$35 and records could be had for $0.05. His collection now numbers over 26 machines with audio on 17 different formats. The record collection numbers well over 10,000. His collection was a major influence on my musical development and my understanding of American poplular music.

The Edison Triumph that plays both 2 and 4 minute cylinders

The Prize of my dad's collection, the Victor Changer

It was the first home record changer. Its price was on the order of a car in the 30's.

The turntable and changer mechanism. The metal ring around the turntable pivots to dump the first record don the shoot, and then catches the next record hanging on the arm. The whole other half of the machine is an orthophonic horn.

The Martinek Family phonograph.

The turntable of the family machine.

Some of my dad's smaller machines. The third machine from the back was his first machine. The second fromt he back is a wire recorder/record player.

The Decca Portable Phonograph. Great for Picnics!

The Brunswick machine with the rotating tone arm head that has a separage needle for Brunswick, Victrola and Edison Recordnings. Each of these types of records etches the sound vibrations into the record groove in a different directions. Edison=vertical, Victrola=Horizontal.

The Camera Case Phonograph. It all packs into that little metal case.

My Favorite! The WurliTzer Jukebox. Note the shrinking plastic, an unfortunately common symtom of these machines.

Some of the mechanism. The amplifier in Red. The circular object with the soleniods is the selector memory. The changing mechanism is a beautiful cam and gear mechanism behind it. The speaker is swung off to the bottom right. It is 15".

More Soon!

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