Antique Mignonphone Pocket Gramophone, 1920's

Lovely Mignonphone pocket gramophone, in good condition and fully original from the time. This charming device comes from France where it was manufactured in 1920. This is a second version of the original Mignonphone, a French portable gramophone that revolutionized the industry for its innovative design. Mignon is the French word for cute and speaks of the small size and lovely design of the gramophone. The device is well preserved and keeps all the original component parts and pieces. On the other hand, the motor has been fully cleaned and fine-tuned in order to guarantee a perfect performance. The brake slips a little but it works.The gramophone mounts a wooden box with leather lining on the outside. The leather covering preserves the original handle, and though showing some traces of wear (logical if we consider its ancient age) it remains complete. If we open the box, inside we will find the different parts that fit in their respective places so we can assemble the gramophone. They are made of chrome-plated metal and remain in good condition, with a fine and shiny look. Among them, the curious foldable horn stands out for its original design. The reproducer bears the gramophones name, MIGNONPHONE, printed in capital letters.This antique Mingnonphone pocket gramophone will shine in a good collection of rare turn-of-the-century devices.Measurements (Closed): Width: 3.1 in / 8 cm. Height: 5.5 in / 14 cm. Depth: 8.6 in / 22 cm.Mignonphone HistoryThe Mignonphone was a groundbreaking gramophone in many senses. This pocket or travel gramophone was launched in the 1920; as well as being a really small device, it had other features that made a significant difference from its competitors. The most relevant ones was the octagonal shape of the reproducer; thanks to this feature, in the European versions the reproducer could be moved in order to play both vertical- and side-grooved records. The Mignonphone is one of the smallest gramophones ever manufactured; different versions were launched, some of them to be exported to America. Years later the manufacturing company gave licenses for its manufacturing in other countries such as Switzerland and the USA. In this country, Walker Products C. made and commercialized a fine version in a black-leather-covered box.