Antique Berliner Gramophone-Phonograph Model 3. France 1895

Antique Berliner gramophone - phonograph, extraordinary restored and in working order. This is the Model 3, made in France circa 1895. This device is one of the first ever produced: Berliner patented his invention, the Gramophone, in 1887. Until that moment the only machines which could record sounds were the phonographs which worked with wax cylinders produced by Edison, Pathé and other companies. The model that we can see in the images stands out for its amazing condition: almost all its component parts and pieces are original from the period, from the mahogany wooden box to the metal horn. The reproducer might have been made later as it bears no serial number. Also, the thumb screw holding the reproducer may not be the original one. Nevertheless, the machine is complete and in perfect working order. The gramophone works really fine and sounds well, especially if we consider its ancient age and primitive technology. The first Berliner gramophones did not provide a great sound quality though it would improve with the years. Though, the fact that it is in working order turns this model into a unique piece as it is quite rare: these gramophones are very sought-after and valuable pieces. The wooden box preserves the remains of the original decal with the brand logo, an angel playing a record with a feather. The gramophone is delivered with an original Berliner record of the same period; though its sound quality is not the best, the fact that it was made at the same time as the gramophone turns it into the perfect accessory for its use. This antique Berliner gramophone Model 3, extraordinary and in working order, is a first-class item worthy to belong to a music museum or an exclusive collection. Dimensions: Box: Side: 10 in / 20 cm. Height: 4 in / 10 cm. Horn: Length: 16.8 in / 42 cm. Mouths Width: 10 in / 25 cm.Berliner Gramophones - History Emil Berliner was born in Germany and moved to the United States in 1870. He became famous for inventing the gramophone, the device which would revolutionize the international music industry and whose technology is still used by record players and vinyl records. In 11881 Berliner became a USA citizen; his interest in sound recording would make him research through Edisons and Bells techniques. In 1887 he patented his firs device, the Gramophone, a machine which did not record sounds on cylinders but flat disks. This system made much easier the task of make multiple copies of each unit. Aiming to found his own business, Berliner contacted engineer Eldridge R. Johnson in order to design an affordable wind-up motor for his Gramopgone. The design succeeded and Berliner partnered with Johnson and founded the Victor Talking Machine Company. When Berliner suggested adopting the famous image of the dog and the gramophone as their brand logo, the company would change its name to His Masters Voice. After some legal disputes for the Gramophone name in the USA (this is the reason which the Victor Talking Machine Co. Could not use it in its commercial name), Berliner would found other companies in different countries: The Berliner Gram-o-phone Company in Canada, the Deutsche Grammophon in Germany and the British Gramophone Co. Ltd.