Victrola ID

[darrellandnikki]

Let me first start off by thanking you in advance for information. Next, let me say that I know that a Victrola is made by Victor. I admit I am one of those people that will call any machine a victrola if it fits the category. I just got a victrola that came from my great grandmother, my mother grew up listening to it. However, I am unable to find any information on it via the internet. The tag reads "The Knox Emprophonic new reproducing phonograph." When I search the new nothing comes up. I do not know were to begin to look for the history. There aren't any dates that are visible anywhere or any other tags. I plan on passing this down to my children and would love to know some history on it. The reproducer shell says knox furniture MFG CO. Any help would be wonderful. Attached are some pictures.

[ayashe]

Can this website be of any help?

http://www.victor-victrola.com/

It sounds like you might need to search for a manufacturing code. I noticed you found "MFG CO" but that might not be it... maybe something starting with VE or VV?

The website says "Every Victor phonograph has a metal dataplate affixed either on or near the motorboard (for machines with lids), on the side of the phonograph (for most external horn and lidless models), or under the turntable (for low-priced and some portable models of the 20's). The turntable must be lifted straight up and off the motorboard to view some plates. Every dataplate contains both a model identification (stamped on the left) and a serial number (on the right). Every model has an individual serialization."

Then you can search the website for your particular model: http://www.victor-victrola.com/product%20information.htm

You can also follow a step-by-step evaluation that gives you a specific history of your model and its approximate value. http://www.victor-victrola.com/Started1.htm

Good luck.

 

[ayashe]

Ooops, please ignore my last post--- I got confused when you called it a Victrola even though you clearly stated the phonograph was not a Victrola.

I have searched for your Knox Emprophonic too but haven't found anything. One possibility is your Knox Furniture Manufacturing Company may have been around before or been part of the Knox -Hutchins Furniture Company but I'm not sure. Most of their furniture will state "Knox-Hutchins Furniture Co., Paoli, IN." If that was the case, I would be inclined to think that your phonograph was not made by a company that specialized in phonographs and gramophones but furniture. Perhaps this was a living-room furniture piece fitted with a phonograph to be enjoyed as part of a matching living room set or package and was not an item that was reproduced in vast quantities.

I did find a webpage on identifying other makes of phonographs, and it says, "Just as dozens of manufacturers produce televisions today (some selling the same product under a number of different trade names), the field of audio home entertainment was no less complex one hundred years ago. If you require information about a make not of the above “big three” or more complete information, please contact me and I can recommend some good sources."

http://www.collectorsworldwest.com/buyers_guide.php#29

Here is the webpage through which you can contact them: http://www.collectorsworldwest.com/feedback.php

Perhaps they can offer you more sound advice! It is a lovely piece in any case and a wonderful thing to be passed down through the family.

[cogar]

Darrell, there are 2 things you can do.

Carefully lift the "turntable" off its spindle and check for any ident info tags underneath it.

2nd thing, remove the crank by un-winding it. Then remove the 4 screws around the perimeter of the "turntable" base plate and carefully lift the whole mechanism out of the cabinet, then check underneath for any ident info tags.

Me thinks Knox Mfg just purchased the mechanism and then built the cabinet for it.   

[darrellandnikki]

Thanks for the info. I took the plate off and found on the bottom of the motor the following: " Polk Motor # 30B, James K Polk, INC, Atlanta, USA, 968096, 25." Did some looking on the net and cannot find really anything except a school, a song and various other things.

[ayashe]

Found some info:

"Polk C. Brockman, a young and imaginative Atlanta record dealer, conceived an idea of great consequence. He had grown up in a mercantile family and had entered his grandfather's furniture store, James K. Polk, Inc., quickly taking over the phonograph department. By 1921 the firm was Okeh's largest regional outlet with particularly heavy sales of the new race records..." http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/sfc1/hillbilly/HTML/ArchieGreen/greenSection_02.htm

So Polk C Brockman was a record dealer, then got into the family furniture making business and I assume helped produce your phonograph.

"James K. Polk" is a song about James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the USA, but not the same person as the furniture store.

Also found: "In early June 1923, Polk C. Brockman, an Atlanta furniture store owner, who had been instrumental in the distribution of records for Okeh, went to New York to work out a new business deal with Okeh Records." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlin'_John_Carson

Polk C Brockman seems to have been involved in early country music and helped to further the career of Fiddlin' John Carson.
It seems he went on to scout more talent and start the careers of several musicians as their agent: "An Atlanta furniture dealer named Polk C. Brockman, who also served as New York's Okeh Records local talent scout and distributor persuaded the record label to come to Atlanta to record Fiddlin' John. " http://ourgeorgiahistory.com/ogh/Fiddlin'_John_Carson

So it seems your phonograph was made by his furniture store and he was the talent agent for several country music musicians. Hope that helps.

[sapphire]

Hit from a Google Search......

"Recorded Music in American Life: The Phonograph and Popular Memory ... - 3:44pm
by RMINA LIFE
Johnson invented major improvements--a spring-driven motor with a ...... Beginning in 1926, Polk, Inc. focused solely on wholesaling phonographic products. ...
www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&se=gglsc&d=78821608 -"

Unfortunately, the link leads to a site that requires membership to view the contents of the book...but........y ou could check out your local library for a copy


Polk Musical Supply Company brocure for sale on ebay........the name gives another lead to follow

http://cgi.ebay.it/POLK-PHONOGRAPH-SUPPLY-CO-ENVELOPE-SALES-BROCHURE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ380145453956

And here's a site that may give you some other arenas to search:

http://www.capsnews.org/links.htm

[bayouman]

Well, I see these are old posts, but anyone has come up with something, I also would appreciate help.  I have one of these, but I'll tell you right now I have take mine apart.  I'm in the process of recovering it.  It is a table model. 

There is no label or stamping under or on the turntable, nor under the turntable base or on the bottom of the case.  My unit is stamped in gold under the lid KNOX FURNITURE MFG. COMPANY, HIGHT POINT, N.C. so that differs with the one in Polk.

I did find a stamping on the bottom of the motor.  It is stamped UNITED AIR CLEANER, CHICAGO, IL.  Another mystery to me.  What in the world would an air cleaner company have to do with victrolas?  I did find a post about one on Radio Banter.  That person's unit was from Bogalusa Furniture of Bogalusa, Louisiana, same as mine.  I'm guessing Knox Furniture had companies in different states.  Of course all of this has led me to dead ends.  I'm wondering about what year they were made and any other details.   Any help appreciated.