Antique-shop.com
Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: AntiqueM53 on January 05, 2015, 06:18:57 PM
-
Help, please: The value of a 1920s "PhonoLamp" 78 player?
Hello, people. A newbie, but I've searched; cannot find anything. :(
I have an old "PhonoLamp" from Electric Phonograph Corp of New York.
Relevant info on it includes:
Model D
Serial 1231
Patent 55217
I also have a letter dated April 13, 1964, from the Head Curator of
the Smithsonian Institution, U.S. National Museum in Washington, D.C.
indicating that patent #55217 was issued May 18, 1920 to the company.
The letter also mentions that the company's charter was revoked
in Delaware in 1923 for non-payment of taxes.
As the picture shows, the original paint has come off in several areas.
The thing is about 5' 9" tall, and plays 78s records.
Currently, I'm just disassembling/cleaning it.
Considering sandblasting, then re-painting, and
then replacing the original (crappy) wiring. Should I?
Can anybody give a clue... Might it be worth $1, or $1,000,000?
I'd appreciate any info you can offer.
Thanks very much.
Mark
-
So to make it short,,,NO do not sand blast or attempt to re-do the phono !! Re-wire is OK but that's all for now !!
Can you take a pic of the company label on it ?? There was another Electric Phonograph Company in Kalamazoo,MI !! Let me look around a bit !! If you re-do the phonolamp chances are whatever it is worth is reduced by 50% !! Anything of that age is better off left as-is !!
Where did you get it ?? There are not many of them around !!
-
Absolutely don't alter it in any way. Does yours work? Here is a Phonolamp, a little different than yours and the auction estimate is (are you sitting down?) $4,000 - $6,000!
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/5425475 (http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/5425475)
-
I agree with all, do not touch the finish. I have never seen anything like this before. Where do the 78s go? Is there a speaker built in?
-
Frogpatch,, This thing is 5'9" tall if there is no typo on the first post !! I am assuming the phono part is in the center section !! But will wait till the person come back and make sure !! He/she will have to explain how this thing works !!
-
What an exceptional item! Never seen one before.
-
Wow. THANKS for the Fast replies, people.
I'm surprised, and Glad to see some actual interest in this thing.
Mart... here are several pics.
It actually belongs to a friend, who inherited it when her Dad passed away.
7Seas... It might work... I just plugged it in (for the first time in Many years?)...
It Does turn, but... one of the balls on the speed governor just now broke off.
The spring steel that holds it broke. 1 ball detached, shown in the pics.
No problem... I have an available metallurgist and machine shop...
I think I can replace the spring steel (BOTH pieces, to maintain balance?).
FrogPatch... The 78s sit on the green felt in that bulbous middle section.
The built-in speaker IS that cone extending up to the lamp-shade !
Cool design, me thinks.
Really? Don't touch the Finish? But... it looks like crap !
It's down to bare metal in several areas. And more bubbled paint falls off easily.
Mart... Yup... it Is about that tall.
Thanks Very Much, people.
Mark
-
Looks like the forum wouldn't take more than one pic...
-
and...
-
and...
-
and...
-
and the letter...
-
They do have a following...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Antique-Tin-Chinoiserie-Phonolamp-Phonograph-Floor-Lamp-/380657962394 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Antique-Tin-Chinoiserie-Phonolamp-Phonograph-Floor-Lamp-/380657962394)
-
I would also like to know about the shade,,is it mica ?? Some shades of that era are worth quite a bit !!Here is the thing about re-doing it,,most collectors consider anything done to the original lamp as damage !! When you have something that may be worth quite a bit you do not intentionally damage it in any way !! That includes the phono player !! Sit on your hands,,put on blinders,,whatever you need to do but leave it alone till you know what the value is !! I would not even re-wire it yet !! It needs an expert restorationist !! Other wise you lose money !! Not good !!
-
Thanks again for the input, people.
Rauville... This piece appears to be in better condition than that old ebay listing.
And this one has metal artwork on it, not painted artwork.
And the two top lights are attached to the outside of the top of the "speaker".
No metal cracks, but the base is a bit dented / bent.
Looks like it was pushed downward, from above.
Mart... I had to look up what "mica" is... and I'm still not sure.
The shade is some sorta' fabric... maybe silk.
Needs to be cleaned, but does not need to be replaced. It's in good condition.
Darn... we're a bit late for the "don't even touch it" advice. :-\
I cut some wires, in anticipation of the re-wiring.
A picture shows one light removed, the other just hanging there.
OK... no further work on this thing until we know the value.
As I'm a newbie to the world of antiques, can ya' suggest an
inexpensive method of a legit / realistic appraisal?
Google says there are several appraisers locally, but
how can I be assured that they know what they're doing?
Mark
-
To put it bluntly,,you can`t always trust an appraisal unless you want to be out at least $100. or so !! Just stay here till we can research it more !! One more thing,, an appraisal is pretty much worthless unless the person doing it specializes in this type item !! They might give you a book value that is simply out of date !! They would have to keep up with current sales of similar items to know what it would likely bring and no one can keep up with all of it !! So save your money for now !!
What is needed is the marking, wording, label, on the lamp itself !! That,, I need a pic of,in order to track down the correct company !!
-
Around here, "looks like crap" generally means "has great patina!" ;D
-
And I forgot my manners !! Welcome to the forum AntiqueM53 !! Was so excited to see your phonolamp I forgot to welcome you !! My apologies !!
-
Wow. Yous peoples are being Just Too Kool !
Yeah... "great patina"... that adds at least $1.50 to the value, right?
Mart... "Welcome" apologies are not necessary at all, but Thanks.
You're All being Very Helpful, and I Do appreciate that. With regard to Antiques,
I'm Extremely Unfamiliar, other than looking in a mirror. :)
Dammit... I TOLD my "metallurgist" friend to NOT TOUCH it,
but he further disassembled it while I was at work today.
Ah, well... at least we do now have some additional information.
You mentioned a need for "marking, wording, label, on the lamp"...
I think I've already shown the available labels and markings, except...
the "needle pickup" part, that says on it "SUPREME" and "PAT PEN"...
305
OR... do you mean JUST the Lamp part, not the entire "PhonoLamp" thing?
Here are a few more pics of the Lamp parts...
Of course, the cardboard sleeve fits in the metal cylinder,
then moves up and surrounds the light-bulb receptacle,
then snaps into the higher-up "base". A familiar (semi-old) design.
The wires, though, are obviously unsafe to use.
504
I mentioned that the lampshade fabric is dirty, but in fairly good shape...
143
And our resident Metallurgist has thoughts as to the metals herein...
He opines that All of the CURVED parts are Brass,
while All of the Straight parts are Steel. They're Soldered together.
I've confirmed... the allegedly "brass" parts are Not magnetic,
and the allegedly "steel" parts Are magnetic.
651
Recall that I mentioned the Base was dented / bent...
404 - bent base
That deformity causes the vertical alignment to be untrue.
Needs about 9/16" wedge to make the level actually Level.
232
Some pics showing the attached (soldered?) artwork details...
374
115
and the (brass?) cups, now holding the detached balancing Ball,
and a bunch of extra phono needles...
294
Our metallurgist friend even turned this thing upside down,
and decided that there were at one time six cushioning feet...
445
and he then removed the bottom plate, with thoughts of removing
the dents / irregularities in the Base, to make it all nice and level.
He surmised that the Base is filled with "plaster of paris",
surrounded by straw. That white stuff is rock-hard.
Thankfully, he left all of that right where it was.
883
Curiously, the wires are two Separate wires, only later "connected"
by someone with modern electrical tape.
081
What can I do to further assist in any research?
Again, Thanks a bunch.
Mark
-
and
-
and
-
And... I noticed that the paint is falling off of Only the Steel parts.
On the Brass parts, the paint is not falling off at all.
?
-
I meant whatever you found on the phonolamp itself that identifies it as a "Phonolamp" made by Electric Phonograph Company !! I need to see the maker or company name on the lamp !! How did you identify it as made by that company ??
Just now the pic of the company name loaded !! But since it was taken from the side I still can`t read it !! Will take a while on the last pics !! I am on dial up so its a pain to see what I need !!
-
The identifying info photos were on the first page. :)
-
7Seas is correct, Mart...
My reply #6 on page 1 of this thread has a picture showing...
a label on the "needle pickup" part that says "PhonoLamp" and
"Electric Phonograph Corp" and "New York City".
But you cannot read it? Here's a (maybe) better picture?...
You're on a dial-up connection? Oh, I'm so sorry for you. :'(
Darn, I messed up... in reply #19, I uploaded the wrong "232" picture.
The original upload was way larger than was intended.
Sorry, Mart (especially on a Dial-up). I've now fixed that. :)
Is there anything else that I can do to assist?
Mark
-
No !! I just need to read that metal name plate !! Hopefully the pics will load sometime this year !! :D
-
Also, Mart,... my reply #11 shows the letter from the Smithsonian Institution,
indicating that the patent #55217 for this device was issued on May 18, 1920
to the Electric Phonograph Corporation of New York City.
Interesting... the letter also says that the company's charter was revoked
in the state of Delaware in 1923 for non-payment of taxes.
Thus... these things could only have been built during that span of three years?
Mark
p.s. Maybe you'll see the pic Next year?
That's OK... this thing will be worth even More next year ! ;D
-
http://www.phonoland.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=945
Ran across this forum on old phonographs,, has some Q&A about your phonolamp company !! Not unusual that they went under,, not all made it in this business !! Like this phonolamp,, it never caught on but the Victrola did !!