In about 1931 HMV and Columbia were taken over by EMI. Several portable gramophones continued to be made, often with combinations of parts from each company. the HMV model 102 was the most popular portable gramophone on sale but its price at about £5 was too expensive for many. The model 97 was produced as […]

Here is an interesting portable gramophone from the early 1920s. Bandmaster was a name used by a German manufacturing Company and several different types of Bandmaster gramophones found their way into the UK in the early 1920s. This is an example of a simple portable machine in an oak case and with an unusual pierced […]

Another of the well known names of gramophones that appeared in the 1920s was Dulcetto. The origins of the name is not wholly clear, but appears to have been used by the British Polyphon Company. Christopher Proudfoot in his book “Collecting Phonographs and Gramophones” (That I refer to all the time!) says that Dulcetto gramophones […]

This is an example of an HMV table top gramophone from about 1924. The model 108. It is a quite rare example and collectors will be more familiar with the very similar later model 109. It has the same good quality double spring No.32 motor, but the internal horn is cast iron and the sound-box […]

This is an example of one of the last new designs produced by HMV in the early 1930s. The portable gramophone model 99 is given a new styling with an all-metal motor-board and sideways shape. It uses the No.16 sound-box, a 23B motor and 9″ turntable. There is an auto-brake that actually works! The blue […]

Here is a very nice example of the Columbia 201 portable gramophone from about 1929. Columbia gramophones are always well made and compare well with contemporary HMV machines, but are usually much cheaper to buy. This 201 is in very good original condition with undamaged chrome plating and a quality No.9 sound-box free from the […]

The HMV Model 102 from 1931 is probably the most popular gramophone amongst collectors at the moment. It has a single spring motor, auto-brake and 10″ turntable. The main feature is the very good quality sound-box fitted to these machines. This might be the No.16, 5A or 5B. The No.16 sound-box plays really well, but […]

Apollo is the name used by the firm Craies & Stavridi for gramophone they imported and sold in the UK from about 1916 to 1930. Apollo gramophones appear in many types and the workings are from the Paillard Company in Switzerland. This portable gramophone takes the standard form for portables of the 1920s. It plays […]

In 1931 HMV and Columbia, the two biggest makers of gramophones were taken over by EMI. Several wind-up gramophones were produced after that and some strange combinations of fitments were tried out. The most popular portable at that time was probably the HMV Model 102 with its distinctive quality sound-box. This gramophone, called the Columbia […]

Decca gramophones were made in the UK by Barnett Samuel Company. The company started production in 1914. Many of the early designs used the “Bowl in the lid” method to amplify the sound where, instead of using a horn, the sound was bounced off a metal bowl and outwards toward the listener. This was a […]