[Phono-L] Crescent Silvertone

Glenn Longwell majesticrecord at snet.net
Sat Oct 31 08:45:25 PDT 2009


One other point to add here.  I also have an ad from November, 1920 from The Literary Digest.  So Crescent Talking Machine was around longer than I thought.  They no longer use the Silvertone name (perhaps Sears finally stopped them???) but still make the statement about playing ALL types of records.  

Glenn




________________________________
From: Glenn Longwell <majesticrecord at snet.net>
To: Antique Phonograph List <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
Sent: Sat, October 31, 2009 10:21:37 AM
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Crescent Silvertone

Ron,

I would like to know what book that is and, if possible, get scans of the pages that talk about Crescent.  I believe these statements, for the most part, are incorrect.  I have several ads for Crescent phonographs stating they have a reproducer that plays both style records.  In fact, the parts arm of Crescent sold to other phonograph makers the "Playsall" tonearm, meant to play both vertical and lateral.  As for who made the records for Crescent the 8" series I'm quite positve were made by Operaphone.  It seems obvious by visual inspection but I'm in the process of looking for other proof.  Sutton mentions a 2nd series pressed by Rex Talking Machine Co.  I don't have any examples of those.  The last series were based off of Pathe masters.  All were vertical and I don't believe the last series was made vertical by accident.  This was still late 1917 so they would have stayed away from lateral by the Victor/Columbia patents, unless the original
 plan was
for universal cut.  Sutton does make mention of what you say though.  I quote - "George Blacker's conjecture - published in Record Research - that sales fo the final series were poor because the records were incompatible with Crescent phonographs, is incorrect.  Most Crescent models were fitted with universal reproducers capable of playing steel-needle vertical-cut discs." 

Glenn


________________________________
From: Ron L'Herault <lherault at bu.edu>
To: Antique Phonograph List <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
Sent: Fri, October 30, 2009 11:54:57 PM
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Crescent Silvertone

A book I have say that the Crescent was a lateral machine so the arm or at
least the end with the reproducer may not be (probably is not) original.
Crescent records were made by Pathe who, in error made them vertical cut,
but to be played with a needle ala Aeolian, rather than with a ball stylus
ala Pathe. This is one reason the phono company didn't last.

Ron L

-----Original Message-----
From: phono-l-bounces at oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-bounces at oldcrank.org] On
Behalf Of Glenn Longwell
Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 9:46 PM
To: Antique Phonograph List
Subject: [Phono-L] Crescent Silvertone

Came home today with a Crescent Talking Machine Co. "Silvertone"
phonograph.  Somewhat rough shape but was interested in it because they
distributed the Crescent line of vertical cut records in the teens.  So it
comes with a swivel tonearm to play both lateral and vertical.  Anyone have
any literature from this company showing the various models of phonographs
they produced?  I'd love a scan of anything anyone has for my research on
these companies dealing with vertical cut records.

October has been vertical month.  Have ended up with about 75 vertical cut
records this month from the obscure brands (not Pathe, Edison, Okeh,
Paramount) and now the Crescent phonograph.  Life is good...

Thanks,
Glenn
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