Phonograph Society Exhibits Equipment

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30886, 20 October 1965, Page 12

Phonograph Society Exhibits Equipment

Members of the newlyformed Vintage Phonograph Society of New Zealand held an exhibition of their equipment in Christchurch on Monday. A large crowd heard members playing old records and cylinders, some of them collectors’ items.

Mr W. Norris, president of the society, said "it all started” for him at an auction in a junk room in Rangiora. “I bought one of Edison’s early handle-wind Gem phonographs,” he said. “From

there it has grown and grown. Now I have three rooms full of equipment, including 2000 cylinders, and more than 2500 diamond discs.” Each diamond disc is more than quarter of an inch thick and is quite heavy. Mr Norris remembers one expedition when he needed a truck and two friends to get a quantity of them home..

Mr Norris and Miss P. Rogers took steps to form the society a year ago. They held a conference last October, when Mr W. Webb offered assistance and suggested publishing a magazine. Only six weeks ago letters were sent to people who had shown interest. Monday evening's exhibition was the result. Visitors heard the voice of Thomas Edison coming from the cylinder on an Edison Concert machine. Edison was always reluctant to have his voice recorded, but after the First World War, he was persuaded to express his admiration for the American war effort. Mr W. S. Dini, who owns the Concert machine, said his father brought the first phonograph to New Zealand in the 1890 s. He charged the public a small fee to listen through the earphones as it had no speaker. It was a popular novelty of the day. Mr Dini said that one machine had been dug up in a garden. It was in perfect working order. The society was interested in preserving any old equipment which the public brought forward. Mr J. S. Cowper, the society’s publicity officer, said many people had already ap proached him during the evening with promises of equipment.

There are 30 members in the society and more were recruited at the exhibition. Mr Cowper said new members were very welcome.

Gavin East, the youngest member, who is 12, said the machines intrigued him. He already has five of his own, and a collection of more than 100 cylinders. His father gives him some help with his unusual hobby.