Cremonaphone
Roll
Back the Years, by Edward
Moogk, National Library of Canada, 1975 states on page 64:
"However, Ontario did not have a monopoly on the [talking machine] business...An Eastern Canada representative was Amherst Pianos Ltd. of Amherst, Nova Scotia, with its six styles of the Cremonaphone. It took its name from "the new violin idea, resulting in the most pleasing results in the quality and volume of tone." The company claimed it could produce 200 machines a month."
In the index Cremonaphone is listed as "Cremonaphone (1917)".
Shirley Nickerson of the Cumberland County Museum and Archives (in N.S.) sends the following about the company (and pictures further down of their model 'F'?):
Norman F. Brooks wrote an article on Cremonophones in the September-October, 1998 issue of the Canadian Antique Phonograph Society publication, Antique Phonograph News. He was kind enough to contribute much of the material on this page. The following scans are from the aforementioned APN issue:
Norman sends the following 1917 'launch' advert:
And this advert from 1919 Family Herald & Weekly Star, Montreal (as he points out, a model 'C' with the different trademark as shown below with the other Cs) (NB):
And this 1921 for the 'Deluxe'(NB):
A picture of an Amherst Piano promotion ruler (NB):
The following picture of the factory from an early post card (NB):
And "a photo of the branch in Saint John N.B., which from my notes indicates the early 20's" (NB--he has it labeled as 1923):
From Norman Brooks info the following machines would be model 'C'.
"The Virtual Gramophone " of Library and Archives Canada has a couple of videos of Cremonaphones here: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/4/4/m2-7000-e.html
"However, Ontario did not have a monopoly on the [talking machine] business...An Eastern Canada representative was Amherst Pianos Ltd. of Amherst, Nova Scotia, with its six styles of the Cremonaphone. It took its name from "the new violin idea, resulting in the most pleasing results in the quality and volume of tone." The company claimed it could produce 200 machines a month."
In the index Cremonaphone is listed as "Cremonaphone (1917)".
Shirley Nickerson of the Cumberland County Museum and Archives (in N.S.) sends the following about the company (and pictures further down of their model 'F'?):
"The Amherst Piano
Factory, which operated
from 1913 to 1928, produced 2,500 units annually with markets being in
the
Norman F. Brooks wrote an article on Cremonophones in the September-October, 1998 issue of the Canadian Antique Phonograph Society publication, Antique Phonograph News. He was kind enough to contribute much of the material on this page. The following scans are from the aforementioned APN issue:
Norman sends the following 1917 'launch' advert:
And this advert from 1919 Family Herald & Weekly Star, Montreal (as he points out, a model 'C' with the different trademark as shown below with the other Cs) (NB):
And this 1921 for the 'Deluxe'(NB):
A picture of an Amherst Piano promotion ruler (NB):
The following picture of the factory from an early post card (NB):
And "a photo of the branch in Saint John N.B., which from my notes indicates the early 20's" (NB--he has it labeled as 1923):
From Norman Brooks info the following machines would be model 'C'.
"The Virtual Gramophone " of Library and Archives Canada has a couple of videos of Cremonaphones here: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/4/4/m2-7000-e.html
Here are a couple of screen shots from two videos showing opening up the 'roll top' front (similar to a roll top desk) and showing the arm, missing from the example photographed by KW below:
Roll top front 'volume control':
Sorry, this is not in focus. I didn't notice until we had left.
Norman Brooks sends this picture of an alternate trademark from another model 'C' (very much the violin--or 'cremona'--look):
Model 'D' picture from Norman Brooks:
Model 'E' picture from Norman Brooks:
Model 'F' picture from Norman Brooks:
He also sends this 1923 receipt for the same model (and a dozen records):
Shirley Nickerson of the Cumberland County Museum and Archives kindly sent along the following pictures of the model 'F'(?) in the museum's collection:
Model 'G' pictures from Norman Brooks:
The inside of the horn showing the 'cremona' part of cremonaphone:
The soundbox:
