Collectable Phonographs and Gramophones
Evoking memories of a bygone era, collectable phonographs and gramophones are popular among those yearning for the sound of years gone by and fascinated by the history of devices.
The phonograph was the first form of record player and used a cylinder for recording and reproducing sound. Inventor Emile Berliner improved on the phonograph in 1887 by developing the gramophone, which used a flat disc instead. A gramophone uses a needle on its arm to read the sound from the grooves of a disc and play it through a speaker.
Collectors often buy phonographs and gramophones to restore to full working condition, and also to use for listening to a collection of old discs.
Choose your ideal gramophone or phonograph by picking your decade such as the 1930s where they started to become popular, to the present day.
Gramophones from the 1930s were wind-up styles by brands of the day such as HMV and Columbia, which would play 78-inch records. Portable styles are often found sold in their original wooden cases, usually made of oak or mahogany. Make a feature out of a floor-standing gramophone, which will form a stunning centrepiece to your room.
A 1940s gramophone is an ideal choice for those looking to recreate the sounds and sights of the war-time era, or step back into the rock ‘n' roll era of the 1950s or the ‘Swinging ‘60s', by which time they had developed to become electrical and were able to play 45-inch vinyl as well as 78s.
If you want a gramophone to display as a decorative item look out for modern reproduction models complete with the distinctive brass horn.
Whether you are after an antique to play your old 78s or you want to bring a vintage look to a room with a reproduction display model, there is a wide variety to choose from.