GRAPHOPHONE COIN-OP TYPE "AS"
The Graphophone Company, always ahead of Edison in terms of innovation, had experimented with spring-powered coin-ops in the mid-1890s, finally introducing a successful model, the Type N coin-op in 1897. The advantage of having a SPRING powered machine, as opposed to ELECTRICALLY POWERED, was that it would be infinitely more convenient, portable, and suitable for any environment. The Type N rapidly evolved into the "AS" that you see above. The curved glass allowed the patron to feast his or her eyes on the spinning mechanism, and marvel at the wonders of modern science.
The cabinet swings open to reveal the crazy nineteenth century technology.
The ID plate of this machine reads "Type S" (abbreviated for "slot"), all the earliest production was marked this way. The official catalogue designation, however, was "AS," for Type A Slot. The very early models are identifiable by the winding crank, which was borrowed from a conventional Graphophone of the period. Later, the crank was adapted with a clutch mechanism.
The spring motor is directly based on the very first Columbia design, developed by engineer Thomas Macdonald in the mid-90s.
The sign holder is a historically correct replica, and the paper SIGN itself is specially worthy of note. OTHER dealers always use the same inaccurate sign that someone invented recently using the graphics from a Columbia record label. NOT CORRECT. The sign you see above is a direct copy, taken from one of the only ORIGINAL coin-op Graphophone signs known to exist, and carefully aged to make it blend with the appearance of the machine. Note the hand pointing toward the coin chute. Note also the designation of the Eastern Talking Machine Co. of Boston -- an important seller at the time. From phonophan you get accuracy, other dealers give you modern imaginings.
Our AS Graphophone functions just as it did when new -- earn money for your next vacation! Invite your friends in at a nickel a song! Well, maybe we're getting carried away about the money-making possibilities of the AS, but the FUN-making potential is boundless!
The AS has been completely restored. No detail has been left undone, including repairing or replacing any component of the works or cabinet that required attention. The cabinet decal, for instance, has been handmade by a collector friend of ours who has dedicated his life to painstakingly producing PERFECT replicas of original decals, one at a time!
Price: $5995.00, including 14" all-brass replica horn and one cylinder record, plus shipping and handling. (NY State residents must pay sales tax, if applicable.)
E-mail: phonophan@aol.com
Telephone: 585-582-1586
FAX: 585 582 2624
US Post: PHONOPHAN
PO Box 747
Henrietta, NY 14467 USA