[Phono-L] Re: Idelia on eBay

ClockworkHome at aol.com ClockworkHome at aol.com
Tue Feb 5 16:15:05 PST 2008


I could be wrong but my very first impression was that the machine was put 
together from original parts to make a complete machine as so many Edisons are 
currently.  I base my opinion on the following:
 
I have seen many Ds retrofitted during the period with a cygnet horn but 
never the D2 going back to the straight horn Edison was abandoning at the time.  
The whole purpose of stamping a 2 after the D on some Edison models was to 
denote the added cygnet horn.  Of note are those items known to not be factory 
original to the machine.  The crank, reproducer, crane, and reproducer carriage 
do not appear to be highlighted oxidized bronze (HOB) so they are not original 
to the machine.  In any case the Model O reproducer would have been introduced 
with the later Idelia E.  I am not all that convinced the HOB of the machine 
is original as it varies from patterns on machines I have observed and owned.  
Some of the bright spots look more like they were buffed out in irregular 
shapes rather than what the originals were.  My gut feeling, for what little it 
is worth, is that this was a very old conglomeration of parts rather than 
something that left the factory as one machine.  Of course only a close up 
inspection could discern many of the questions I have in mind. 
 
I would like to take a close look at the horn decal and the tiny areas where 
paint had chipped off.  I would like to examine the underside of the bedplate. 
 I would like to have looked into the cabinet all around.  Unfortunately 
these are things that photos on eBay normally do not do.
 
There was a guy back in 1968 who put Idelias "together" using Triumph parts.  
The bedplates were cast iron from an original and came out near perfect.  He 
had a trophy company acid etch mill both the Idelia patent plate and the 
Edison script signature in brass plate.  Seems the cabinets were the easiest part 
to reproduce with hardware from Constantine's as original.  A collector at the 
time was paying $125 for a Triumph and $500 for an Idelia so there was motive. 
 Also, at the time many of the collectors and dealers did not consider such a 
Triumph "conversion" to be wrong.  It was "an improvement!"
 
Lastly, since the Idelia machines were made up one at a time the D2 stamp on 
the patent plate would have been accurate IMHO and that machine should have 
had a cygnet horn.  The whole machine and horn would have been packaged together 
and shipped as a special order.
 
Best Wishes to All,
 
Al
 



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