[Phono-L] What's the story on the original indian machines?????

George Glastris glastris at edisongallery.com
Mon Oct 16 12:42:57 PDT 2006


I was speaking about proper old gramophones that just happened to have been 
made in India up through the 1930s.  These were catalogued as being old and 
original, although maybe not of great quality.    We never sold the 
reproductions that came out later, especially the ones with obviously new 
tone arms, and HMV labels.  In fact, we assisted EMI in prosecuting the 
makers with trademark infringement.  We did find that sometimes they would 
use old cases but replace the older motors with HMV portable motors.  I 
assume that it was cheaper for them to do that then repair the original.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "bruce78rpm" <bruce78rpm at comcast.net>
To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 2:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] What's the story on the original indian machines?????


>I assume they were auctioned as reproduction Gramophones as opposed to
> "Restored Originals".
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "George Glastris" <glastris at edisongallery.com>
> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
> Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 2:29 PM
> Subject: Re: [Phono-L] What's the story on the original indian 
> machines?????
>
>
>> Quite simple,there was a market for horn gramophones in India throughout
>> the
>> 1930s, and Swiss manufacturers like Paillard, as well as HMV who had a
>> factory near Calcutta, continued to supply this market.  That is why 
>> there
>> were so many horn gramophones in India for people to import over here and
>> especially in the UK in the 1970s, and as the supply ran out, the Indians
>> developed their own replacements.  In the early 1990s/late 1980s there 
>> was
>> a
>> small flood of these in the auction houses where I was working at the 
>> time
>> (Christie's and Phillips') and some actually made respectable prices (in
>> the
>> low hundreds of pounds when name brand machines were making in the mid
>> hundreds and upwards), but that didn't last long, especially as the 
>> supply
>> of better quality and condition ones soon ended.
>>
>> Regards to all,
>> George Glastris
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Mario Frazzetto" <marioaf at optusnet.com.au>
>> To: <phonolist at yahoogroups.com>; <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 3:39 PM
>> Subject: [Phono-L] What's the story on the original indian machines?????
>>
>>
>>> Hi Folks,
>>>
>>> Well I know about crapophones and frankenphones, but what is the story 
>>> on
>>> some of these early indian horn phonographs.... I see transfers for
>>> Leophones etc...
>>>
>>> Anyone know anything about early phonograph/gramophone production in
>>> India? Models? or are all Indian phonographs late model crapophones?
>>> It seems to be an unexplored side.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Mario
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