Name/Title
Excelsior Disc PhonographEntry/Object ID
285Description
Germany, ca. 1905–1907
Rare Gramophone by Excelsiorwerk Cologne
This exceptional gramophone was produced by the renowned Excelsiorwerk GmbH in Cologne-Nippes, a company best known around the turn of the century for its high-quality phonographs using wax cylinders. For a brief period – likely between 1905 and 1907 – Excelsior also manufactured disc-playing gramophones for shellac records.
The model shown here is one of the very few known disc phonographs made by Excelsior.
It features a robust build quality, a large metal horn, and an original Excelsior soundbox bearing the manufacturer’s engraving. The tonearm is solidly constructed, and the spring motor is wound using a side-mounted crank.
Special Features:
Soundbox: Original Excelsior soundbox with engraving and fine needle mechanism
Horn: Large-volume metal horn for enhanced acoustic projection
Historical Context:
Excelsior earned an excellent reputation for its cast-hard wax cylinders and phonographs. Its disc-playing machines, however, remained rare exceptions in the product line and were barely advertised. The shown advertisements are taken from the Phonographische Zeitschrift (Phonographic Journal).
Significance in the Edisonium Mariazell:
The Excelsior disc phonograph on display represents the transitional period between cylinder and disc technology and highlights Excelsior’s spirit of innovation in the early history of recorded sound.
