1912 Edison Opera Phonograph (2nd) with Cygnet Horn in Mahogany
Edison Opera Phonograph in Mahogany with Music Master Cygnet Horn and Diamond A Reproducer in Pristine Cosmetic and Working Condition
In a Nutshell
Edison's top model cylinder phonograph, every collector's dream. 100 (40 mint) cylinders optional
Introduction: Here is my second Opera, Edison's top machine. It was introduced in November 1911, as the follow-up model to the 1907 2/4-minute combination model Idelia, but is a strictly 4-minute-only phonograph. It was first sold with a model L 4-minute reproducer but - after introduction of the Blue Amberol cylinders one year later - was also sold with the heavier Diamond A reproducer optimized for the new robust celluloid records. In October 1912 the name had to be changed to "Concert". The Opera is considered the Rolls Royce of all cylinder phonographs, and was offered in oak and mahogany cabinets, and with cygnet horns made for Edison from solid oak or mahogany by Sheip and Vandegrift under the label Music Master. Here we have the more expensive mahogany version of the cabinet, also featuring several ornate metal parts made from brushed bronze, as used for the Idelia, the economic oak version having no handles at all, but a latched lid. The phonograph's lid has a hole to accommodate the horn even when the machine is not playing. The horn is a self-supporting free-standing cygnet horn, that can be swiveled by 360 degree without any crane. The direct-drive motor has no belt and moves the carriage and mandrel relative to the stationary pickup and horn, avoiding mechanical rumble to be transferred to the reproducer. A 3-spring governor and two flywheel stabilizers largely eliminate wow and flutter. The double spring motor plays for about 10 minutes, enough for two records without rewinding.
About my phonograph:
I bought this Opera from the grandson of the original owner, both living in Amsterdam, Holland. It had been sold around 1912 by the "The World's Phonograph Company", located on Amsterdam's prestigious Rokin 83. The address mostly quoted for this store is Rokin 140, which however was the home of the upscale department store "Maison de Bonneterie, Fournisseur de sa Majesté la Reine des Pays-bas" between 1889 and 2014. It was the oldest phonograph store in the Netherlands and the biggest world-wide and had been founded by Jonathan Lewis Young [1859-1940], a former manager of the Edison Phonograph Company in London in 1893, who also represented Edison's mimeograph, kinetoscope and kinetophone. Rokin 83 is today the Café de Paris, former Bar Italia. The phonograph cabinet and lid have the original finish, with its decal also being original. The cygnet horns bell including its Sheip & Vandegrift / Edison decal had to be refinished, since it showed extensive crazing. Its neck has minor dents and its finish was touched up a little, where there was paint loss. The upper works are in excellent condition with the pinstriping being original and more than 80% complete, and the brown finish of the bedplate having been only locally touched up in a few small spots. The two serial numbers (3441) stamped on the bedplate and on the type plate are matching. The double-spring motor is perfect and can be fully wound up. The oxidized bronze (gun metal) mandrel has no dents. The automatic brake and all parts are original too. Even the often missing oil pipe distributors are complete. All gears have been painstakingly cleaned and lubricated. New gaskets and a brand-new Expert Stylus crossbar with diamond stylus (US$ 165) were installed and the machine serviced. The phonograph plays faultlessly and without any own noise as can be verified by watching the youtube video in ref.1 or clicking on pict.63. The two cylinders played are selected from a large lot (~100) of cylinders (picts.60,61), of which at least 40% were purchased from the same Amsterdam distributor. "Scherzo - Tarentelle Op. 16" (Henryk Wieniawski), played by renowned and prolific violonist Albert Spalding [1849-1915] 3 years before he died, on a rare Edison Royal Purple Amberol record #29062. A modern slightly longer version by then 11 years old Nathan Meltzer is on youtube too (ref.2) "O Sole Mio", Neapolitan Song, sung in Italian by Guido Ciccolini (Tenor) [1882-1963] on a Blue Amberol Concert record #28282.
The two cylinders are not included in the sale. The list of available records is shown in pict.60. Please
e-mail me (Kris) for any questions, ich spreche Deutsch, je parle Français.
Here are the specifications:
Technical Description of Item
Manufacturer
Thomas A. Edison, Orange, N.J., USA
Distributor
The World's Phonograph Co., Amsterdam, Netherlands
Model
Opera Type SM Model A
Type
4-minute cylinder phonograph with Edison - Music Master - Sheip & Vandegrift horn