Name/Title
Concert Phonograph with Vérité System (Orpheus ?)Entry/Object ID
209Description
Attributed to: Excelsior Works, Cologne (?), ca. 1902
Description and Classification
This device represents a largely undocumented example of a European concert phonograph, presumably manufactured around 1902.
Its construction closely resembles the well-known Graphophone Type AB (Columbia). Unlike the Graphophone AB, however, this machine features a cast metal bedplate. The use of the French Vérité system, which enables precise sound reproduction through a freely vibrating diaphragm, suggests a more French-inspired design.
In addition, the phonograph was built to play Concert cylinders (Stentor size).
Technical Features
Tonearm system: Vérité mechanism with detachable bridge
Cylinder formats: Pathé Concert (Stentor) cylinders and standard 2-minute wax cylinders
Motor: Spring-driven mechanism
Horn: Large aluminum horn
Manufacturer?
Among collectors, this machine is often attributed to the Excelsior Works in Cologne, a German manufacturer of talking machines. However, this attribution remains unconfirmed. There are no known markings or documents that definitively link this specific example to Excelsior.
