Hey!
1902 Victor Type E Talking Machine. As I was putting wood oil on my Victor Type E Talking Machine. I realized that this year 2022, its turns 120 years old! There's a paper label from the factory underneath with date "March 1, 1902" Owning an old machine like this have been one of my dream since I was young, and in 2006 I acquired this one.
It is beautiful to look at and makes me smile every time I put on a disc and hear sound recorded over 100 years ago. After all these years I'm still amazed that it works, all mechanical and acoustical! A needle wiggling from the sound to cut the wax... talk about the ultimate Direct to Disc! It must have seems like magic to people back then. And looking across the room I see my turntables and they are still based on the same principle, a needle wiggling in a groove!
Anyway, click on the pic or link below the pic to hear it Playing Bizet "Carmen - Prelude to Act 1" Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Leopold Stokowski. Victrola Red Seal 10" single sided shellac 78rpm date 1919. Is sound better live... well, for an early last century's standard of course, I used my iPhone 13 Mini for the video but I think Flickr converted and compressed the file. But it is still fun, enjoy!
Buddy