Learning through objects from the Islington Education Library Service’s handling collection
Wind-up Gramophone, 1920s, Original
Thomas A. Edison invented the first talking machine in 1877. He named it the Phonograph, which means 'voice-writer'. By the mid 1890s, other inventors and manufacturers had developed the idea of the Phonograph, producing their own versions, such as the Graphophone and the Gramophone.
The Graphophone is the name of the record player produced by the company Columbia. The one shown here is portable and is from the first part of the 20th century. The whole apparatus fits into a wooden box with a carrying handle on the side. It is operated by a handle at the front which is turned to wind up a spring. This makes the turntable revolve. The arm that holds the needle has to be lifted and placed on the record by hand. The deck on which the turntable sits is made of wood and has a switch for 'fast' and 'slow' playing, a switch to stop the turntable revolving and a little dish with a lid for holding the needles. The needles, and also the arm that holds them, are nickel-plated.
Nowadays, when we talk about old record playing machines, we tend to call them all gramophones. In fact, when these machines were first developed Graphophone was just one of many different types.
The Graphophone is the name of the record player produced by the company Columbia. The one shown here is portable and is from the first part of the 20th century. The whole apparatus fits into a wooden box with a carrying handle on the side. It is operated by a handle at the front which is turned to wind up a spring. This makes the turntable revolve. The arm that holds the needle has to be lifted and placed on the record by hand. The deck on which the turntable sits is made of wood and has a switch for 'fast' and 'slow' playing, a switch to stop the turntable revolving and a little dish with a lid for holding the needles. The needles, and also the arm that holds them, are nickel-plated.
Nowadays, when we talk about old record playing machines, we tend to call them all gramophones. In fact, when these machines were first developed Graphophone was just one of many different types.
Width:30cm
Width:30cm
Thomas A. Edison invented the first talking machine in 1877. He named it the Phonograph, which means 'voice-writer'. By the mid 1890s, other inventors and manufacturers had developed the idea of the Phonograph, producing their own versions, such as the Graphophone and the Gramophone.
The Graphophone is the name of the record player produced by the company Columbia. The one shown here is portable and is from the first part of the 20th century. The whole apparatus fits into a wooden box with a carrying handle on the side. It is operated by a handle at the front which is turned to wind up a spring. This makes the turntable revolve. The arm that holds the needle has to be lifted and placed on the record by hand. The deck on which the turntable sits is made of wood and has a switch for 'fast' and 'slow' playing, a switch to stop the turntable revolving and a little dish with a lid for holding the needles. The needles, and also the arm that holds them, are nickel-plated.
Nowadays, when we talk about old record playing machines, we tend to call them all gramophones. In fact, when these machines were first developed Graphophone was just one of many different types.
The Graphophone is the name of the record player produced by the company Columbia. The one shown here is portable and is from the first part of the 20th century. The whole apparatus fits into a wooden box with a carrying handle on the side. It is operated by a handle at the front which is turned to wind up a spring. This makes the turntable revolve. The arm that holds the needle has to be lifted and placed on the record by hand. The deck on which the turntable sits is made of wood and has a switch for 'fast' and 'slow' playing, a switch to stop the turntable revolving and a little dish with a lid for holding the needles. The needles, and also the arm that holds them, are nickel-plated.
Nowadays, when we talk about old record playing machines, we tend to call them all gramophones. In fact, when these machines were first developed Graphophone was just one of many different types.
