schweg
Three Spring Motor
Posts: 218
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Post by schweg on May 1, 2009 11:11:08 GMT -6
MAKER: Berliner MODEL: Lever wind SERIAL #: YEARS: circa 1897 ORIGINAL COST: ? CASE/CABINET SIZE: 9.5" square TURNTABLE/MANDREL SIZE: 7" REPRODUCER/SOUNDBOX: Clark-Johnson J (reproduction on this one) MOTOR: Single, open spring w/ ratchet wind mechanism HORN DIMENSIONS: 16" horn all steel REPO PARTS: reproducer, record hold down CURRENT VALUE MINT: (Not necessarily this machine) INTERESTING FACTS: only Berliner w/ lever wind mechanism- like old music boxes FAVORITE CHARACTERISTIC: unusual lever wind, short production duration- it was produced for only 7 months.      It was not until late 1896 that Berliner's Gramophone became a practical instrument, with a spring-driven motor developed by Levi Montross. The first spring motor Gramophones had metal bodies, but in December 1896 they were housed in attractive oak cases as illustrated here. The machine was wound by pulling a ratcheted lever from side to side rather than with a rotating crank as is typical of all other old phonographs. This lever-wound mechanism is unique in the history of antique phonographs and was extremely short-lived. Within 7 months Berliner came out with the "Improved Gramophone" which had essentially the same case but was fitted with a better motor with a conventional crank, developed by Eldridge Johnson. Berliner had little success selling his 'talking machines' and was ultimately forced out of the U.S. market by his unscrupulous business partner. One offshoot of the resulting legal battles evolved into the aptly-named "Victor" company, which dominated the disc market for many years thereafter. With its short lifespan and tiny production, the 'lever-wind' Berliner (also known as the 'ratchet-wind') is one of the rarest disc phonographs ever made. Source: people.clarkson.edu/%7Eekatz/scientists/berliner.htmlSteve |
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Post by MTPhono on May 1, 2009 12:08:59 GMT -6
You certainly don't get to see one of these everyday!
Is that the standard horn that would have come on this machine? I am used to seeing the rounded bell, not straight as on your machine (I prefer the primitive look of your example).
Great machine - thanks for sharing it with us.
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schweg
Three Spring Motor
Posts: 218
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Post by schweg on May 1, 2009 12:19:16 GMT -6
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Post by MTPhono on May 1, 2009 12:21:35 GMT -6
Thanks for the link Steve. I should have been more clear in my question - I am more used to the rounded bell only because I only ever see the later, more common Berliner(like the Trademark). I am sure your horn is the correct style - I just wasn't certain if that was an optional horn or the only option. In either case, it's a great machine and horn.
Regards,
Scott
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Post by phonogfp on May 1, 2009 18:38:41 GMT -6
Steve,
Very nice lever-wind Berliner! The horn is correct for this model. By the way, the dates are a bit off - - the metal cased lever-wind appeared in December 1896. The wooden-cased lever-wind (like yours) appeared in March/April 1897, and was in production for about 5 months (until August 1897), when it was replaced by the "Improved Gramophone." For the first few months of production, the "Improved Gramophone" used the same flat-belled horn as seen on your lever-wind.
Thanks for sharing!
George P.
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Post by style6 on May 1, 2009 18:54:12 GMT -6
What a fantastic little machine. I've never seen a lever-wind before, and doubt I ever would downunder. They dont come any better than this!
Thanks for sharing it.
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Post by roaring20s on May 1, 2009 19:56:13 GMT -6
Nice.
I have questions. Never having seen one up close, I wonder how smoothly or clumsily that winding mechanism works. Do you need to hold the machine firmly to wind it? Are the motors clunky of quiet? One side per winding?
I also want to know how the sound quality is. But, since your reproducer is a reproduction it may sound better than if it were original?
Do you use it often or is it retired.
James
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Post by phonogfp on May 2, 2009 10:14:59 GMT -6
Okay, I wasn't going to belabor the point, but that website's writeup is loaded with inaccuracies. To say that "Berliner had little success selling his talking machines..." shows the writer to be ignorant of the fact that Berliner wasn't in the retailing part of the business. That would be "...his unscrupulous business partner." Something over 20,000 Improved Gramophones were sold as Berliners between August 1897 and June 1900. Not exactly a paltry business. And as for "unscrupulous," anyone who takes the trouble to examine Frank Seaman's contract with Berliner, and evaluate Seaman's and Berliner's actions over the 1896-1900 period will see that Seaman not only was well within his rights to take the course he did, but he showed remarkable patience and restraint as well. All this anti-Seaman, anti-Columbia drivel is residual bias from Tinfoil to Stereo - - now a half-century old. It's regrettable to see it perpetuated on the internet. There! That feels better!  George P. |
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schweg
Three Spring Motor
Posts: 218
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Post by schweg on May 2, 2009 18:50:29 GMT -6
Answers to questions: Cranks smoothly and runs really quiet. I don't use it to play records on so can't answer that. I have some machines that are just to look at, and dust....
George, sorry I put that info on and thanks for the corrections. Our bldg got flooded in the great Houston flood of 2009 and I was sitting in a conference room full of geologists, geophysicists, and engineers (ranked in order of intelligence!!) "working"... when I noticed that the Phonofocus was still open and thought, what the heck, I'll hurry and put some pics on while it's lunchtime. I found that website while I was trying to find a little info, and unfortunately my lack of knowledge showed when I thought, I'll just post this interesting info along with my pictures. ACK! I hang my head in shame and am now relegated to moving below the engineers.... the deepest cut of all!!!
Steve
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Post by phonogfp on May 2, 2009 20:57:03 GMT -6
Steve, Sounds like you've had a rough week! But that misinformation isn't your fault - - it's waiting out there to mislead/confuse anyone looking for facts. Unfortunately, many folks still harbor undue respect for anything they see in print - - even in the age of the Internet!  There oughta be a law...  I certainly wasn't blaming you for posting that stuff from someone's website - - heck, it was worth reading it in order to see a nice lever-wind Berliner!  Hope your flood mess is being cleaned up... We went through one back in '86, and there's nothing as messy as a flood. Best of luck with that, and thanks again for posting the photos of the Berliner! Best, George P. |
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schweg
Three Spring Motor
Posts: 218
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Post by schweg on May 3, 2009 11:13:50 GMT -6
George, absolutely no offense taken. I've learned a lot from yours, and the other's comments, and that is always my intention.
Steve
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Post by Moooperator on May 4, 2009 20:20:00 GMT -6
Steve, I too really dig that horn! I just noticed the unusual brake... is that type of brake found on any other machines?
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chucka
One Spring Motor
Posts: 13
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Post by chucka on May 5, 2009 5:58:55 GMT -6
Steve,
Very nice machine. What is the serial number of yours? I have #981.
I'm curious as there are a few differences between yours and mine. I have the combined brake/speed control on the opposite side of the case from the winder, my tonearm yoke is a "ball and socket" rather than the normal forked yoke, and the record hold-down is threaded through.
George thanks for the updated info on the production, I'll update that on my web.
Alss, Steve, thanks for pointing to my web page ad for the horn, maybe I'll get lucky.
Chuck
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Starkton
Two Spring Motor
How do you get that
Posts: 61
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Post by Starkton on May 5, 2009 8:54:16 GMT -6
By the way, the dates are a bit off - - the metal cased lever-wind appeared in December 1896. The wooden-cased lever-wind (like yours) appeared in March/April 1897, and was in production for about 5 months (until August 1897), when it was replaced by the "Improved Gramophone." George P. Are you sure about the date of actual appearance of the wooden cased lever-wind model on the market? When the stock of 1,000 metal cased machines (this model was pictured in an issue of Phonoscope of November 15, 1896) was nearly sold, on March 22, 1897, Seaman officially ordered an additional 1,000 (other sources even say 3,500) gramophones. Did Johnson, who was completely catched out by the gramophone's success, indeed take finished plans from the drawer, and the wooden-cased model actually appeared in March/April 1897? |
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Post by phonogfp on May 5, 2009 9:38:23 GMT -6
Starkton, I have a 4-page advertising flyer for the lever-wind Berliner, which illustrates both the metal-cased and wooden-cased versions. There is no date on the flyer, but a suggested program of selections is found on the back, as seen here:  By researching the recording dates of the selections, we see that most were recorded in 1896. However, selection #14 (Berliner No.241) was recorded on Feb. 10, 1897. Also, selection #17 (Berliner No.450) would be re-recorded as a duet on May 7, 1897. Extrapolating from those dates, I estimate the date of the flyer to be March/April 1897. Admittedly, the flyer could date from February, but I like to live dangerously! I've seen no illustrations of the wooden-cased lever-wind Berliner earlier than this, but I'd be grateful to anyone who would share one with me. George P. |
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There oughta be a law... 
