Name/Title
Le Colibri – French Portable Cylinder PhonographEntry/Object ID
187Description
Le Colibri – French Portable Cylinder Phonograph
Manufacture Française d’Appareils de Précision (MFAP), Paris – ca. 1898–1902. Rare portable recording and playback machine in original carrying case
The “Colibri” (“Hummingbird”) is one of the rarest phonographs manufactured in France, built by the Manufacture Française d’Appareils de Précision in Paris. Its name reflects both its compact design and the fine precision engineering that went into its manufacture.
It was supplied in a sturdy wooden case lined with red felt, complete with horn, accessories, and often with a recording kit. This made it ideal for mobile demonstrations, speech recording, or as a high‑quality home phonograph.
Technical Features
Horn & Tracking: Straight horn made of nickel‑plated brass or aluminium, mounted on a movable rod with an endless screw, allowing the horn to follow the groove precisely.
Cylinder Frame: Made of black ebony, with brass gear wheels (in some models, cardboard gears for quieter operation).
Reproducer & Recorder: Black ebonite soundboxes with a small brass counterweight for perfect balance.
Drive: Clockwork motor with spring winding, finely regulated by the screw feed.
Distinctive Design: Open frame construction with all moving parts visible, making it easy to service and particularly appealing for demonstrations.
Recording Capability
Unlike many small phonographs of its era, the “Colibri” could make its own recordings. By fitting the recording diaphragm, placing a blank wax cylinder on the mandrel, and engaging the feed mechanism, it could operate like a full‑scale office or studio phonograph.
Marketing and Promotion
First advertised in December 1897, for example in the Journal d’Annonay, the “Colibri” was promoted as “the newest French phonograph” – powerful, portable, and affordable. Advertisements proudly highlighted that it “records its own cylinders” (Enregistrant lui‑même ses cylindres).
Historical Significance
The “Colibri” represents the French answer to the American Edison phonograph – elegant, technically advanced, and portable, serving both as a talking machine and a recorder at the turn of the century. Today it is exceptionally rare, especially in complete original sets with case, horn, accessories, and period advertising.
Significance in the Edisonium Mariazell
The example on display is fully original, with its complete case, horn, and recording accessories. It showcases the high standard of French precision engineering around 1900 and stands as an extraordinary example of portable phonograph technology from the Belle Époque.
