Hello! I haven't had much time for art, between going back to work and editing a novel.
I do have something neat to show off. My grandmother moved out of her house recently. I flew to Houston and drove these two items up to NC.
The first is a 1905 Edison Fireside Phonograph cylinder player. It works! The sound quality is pretty poor, though. The needle mechanism may need to be restored.
![Image](http://www.gimpchat.com/files/1315_P01.JPG)
That steel drum is full of cylinders and bakelite records.
![Image](http://www.gimpchat.com/files/1315_P05.JPG)
The other is an Edison Disc Phonograph, manufactured about 1920. It plays, and sounds much better.
![Image](http://www.gimpchat.com/files/1315_P06.JPG)
Inside I found the original catalog. It retailed for $295 in 1920, which in current money would place it in the price range of large-screen TV's. It seems the price for entertainment hasn't really changed. Some of the larger models retailed for up to $6,000 in 1920 - certainly in the Great Gatsby's price range. This is a "Chippendale" model with mahogany finish. This one is fairly common. Another version was finished with oak and is more rare.
There was also a handbill for a silent movie tucked inside the cabinet.
![Image](http://www.gimpchat.com/files/1315_P07.JPG)
I'll have to put some of the recordings online. I'd imagine most of the copyrights have expired. The sound is pretty good for a purely mechanical device that hasn't been played for at least 40 years.