A World of Antique Phonographs

This is a comprehensive book on history. There are some models missing, but no book can have everything.

As with all the phonograph books by Fabrizio & Paul, this is beautifully illustrated with sharp and insightful contemporary photographs, complimented by vintage photos of great interest. The text is always well researched, informative and clearly written. All of the books I own in this series are ones I read over and over and over again, finding things I missed on previous readings.Through these books collectively, one learns of a developing industry that was quite litigious and cutthroat. Lawsuits over patents belonging to Edison, Victor and Columbia put many new companies out of business. If a groove propelled the tone arm over the record, that was patented! Some companies went so far as making the turntable move and the tone arm stay stationery to try to avoid that patent infringement. You'll see phonographs made out of plate glass and wicker. You'll see the Vitaphone made in Canada with a simple all wood tone arm with sound transmitted by a string. How about a phonograph where an actual violin is a tone arm. Amazing cabinet designs and concepts: One reproducer feeding two horns from either side; the one-stringed Stroh violin using a phonograph diaphragm through a metal horn so the violin could be heard above the brass. And on and on and on. There is so much more.Each of Fabrizio & Paul's books is an education in itself. The time line of phonographic development is fascinating. From the tinfoil cylinder to the development of the Orthophonic Horn with the record changer which was a temperamental contraption that broke records... and not in the favorable sense, one learns to greatly appreciate where we've come from. You'll love the book! Get as many as you can find and afford!

Ein sehr erschöpfend aufgearbeiteter Abriss aus der reichen Welt der frühen Tonaufzeichnung und Wiedergabe. Tolle Fotos und informativer Text stellen auch den ernsthaften Sammler zufrieden. Den Schwerpunkt bilden amerikanische Apparate.

Excellent book