No Edison

Antique phonographs from various manufacturers

Edison Bell

 
Edison Bell were the pioneers of phonographs in the United Kingdom. Already founded in the 1890's, as Edison Bell Phonograph Corporation, they had acquired the patent rights for Edison & Graphophone for the UK. However, constant legal disputes with people and companies trying to break their monopoly weakened their potential. Eventually Edison Bell decided to join with its largest competitive distraction, the Edisonia company, headed by James Hough.

The new company was the Edison-Bell Consolidated Phonograph Company. Hough was appointed manager of Sales. Until 1902 Edison Bell held the absolute monopoly. The imported Edison and Columbia machines usually were adorned with an additional Edison-Bell lable. There was also a rigorous import of machines from France & Germany that were branded as Edison-Bell, but their origins, such as repranded Pathe Galoise, were difficult to hide.

From about 1904 Edison-Bell began to manufacture their own models, as well as their own cylinders. The early generation of machines were very similar to Edison phonographs, From about 1906 though, Edison-Bell produced a more unique range of 4 phonograph models; Imp, Elf, Era and Don. However the age of disc graphophones was dawning and Edison-Bell were quick to start manufacturing disc players.

Edison Bell - Victor Concert

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Edison Bell - Empire / New Empire

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Though called "New Empire" in the catalogs, on the cabinet it is just termed "Empire". It is most probably of German manufacture, from the company Krefeld. It plays 2 minute cylinders. The reproducer is quite similar to an Edison C

Edison Bell - New Duplex

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Edison Bell - Gem

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Edison Bell - Imp

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Brought onto the market as part of the 1907 range (Imp, Elf, Era, Don), the range was a departure from the copying of Edison machines, to a more uniquw design.

The reproducer was mounted on a front trunnion driven by a feedscrew under the bedplate, in front of the mandrel. Other impovements were a silent winding rachet and a knife edge wheel tracking on the feedscrew to reduce friction. (as opposed to other phonographs that used a half.nut style tracker with multiple grooves). Most ingenious though was that the mabdrel bar was mounted on eliptical retainers, and for the reproducer to come in contact with the cylinder, one merely flipped the lever at the right of the machine, and the reproducer engaged.

The model name is to be found on the bedplate at the end of the mandrel

Edison Bell - Elf

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Similar to the Imp in construction, just larger.

Edison Bell - Era

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Edison Bell - Don

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Edison Bell - Homestead

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