Name/Title
Graphophone "Type BV"Entry/Object ID
272Description
Graphophone "Type BV"
American Graphophone Company / Columbia Phonograph Co., ca. 1908
Serial Number: 3,190
Historical Background
The Graphophone Type BV was the smallest model of Columbia’s late “B” series and was produced only in very limited numbers. It appeared around 1908, at a time when Columbia was already shifting its focus increasingly toward disc records. The BV can therefore be seen as a kind of “last attempt” to offer a compact and affordable cylinder machine for the mass market.
The BV was built in simple, dark-stained oak cabinets with straight edges and a plain profile. Unlike the larger Columbia models, the cabinet had only minimal decoration; often the typical “Columbia Graphophone” decal was missing entirely from the front.
Technical Features
Motor: Single-spring motor with an unusual flat-spring governor, used only in the BV and BVT models.
Reproducer: Permanently mounted #14 reproducer; the diaphragm and sapphire stylus were integrated into the frame and not removable.
Carriage: One-piece cast, black-enameled carriage with gold pinstriping.
Cabinet: Simple, dark oak case with a square base and molded top edge.
Playing time: About 2 minutes per cylinder; no 2-/4-minute attachment was provided.
Variants and Special Types
BVT: A variation of the BV with a rear-mounted tonearm, also introduced in 1908.
Oxford Talking Machine: Sold by Sears, Roebuck & Co. (1908–1909); essentially a BV fitted with a detachable rear-mounted tonearm and horn assembly.
Rarity and Significance
The BV was produced in very small numbers—collectors estimate only a few thousand units. Because of its modest features, fixed reproducer, and limited marketing, it remained commercially insignificant. Today, however, it is a sought-after collector’s item, as it marks the endpoint of Columbia’s cylinder line: small, plain, technically simplified, and clearly overshadowed by the rapidly growing popularity of disc records.
The example exhibited at the Edisonium Mariazell (serial number 3,190) is one of the rare surviving BV models and illustrates Columbia’s final retreat from the cylinder market.
