Name/Title
Edison “Concert” Phonograph – New Style Cabinet ModelEntry/Object ID
207Description
Year of Manufacture: from 1901
Manufacturer: Edison, Orange, New Jersey, USA
Drive: Triton triple-spring motor
Cylinder Format: 5-inch Concert cylinders
Special Feature: Overhead carriage with large mandrel
Description and Significance
The Edison Concert was the most powerful and most expensive cylinder phonograph of its time. Introduced in 1899, it played exclusive 5-inch cylinders with exceptionally loud and clear playback. Beginning in early 1901, the Concert received a redesigned cabinet – the so-called “New Style Cabinet” – featuring a hinged lid, decorative mouldings, and an elegant, modernized form.
The mechanism was now securely mounted inside the cabinet, and the horn was stabilized using a concealed crane support built into the lid. The new cabinet design followed that of Edison’s Triumph and Spring Motor models.
Technical Features
Motor: Triton triple-spring motor with round winding shaft
Cabinet: “Antique oak” with hinged top cover and automatic snap lock
Reproducer: From 1902, the specially designed Model D Reproducer for Concert cylinders
Horn: 24-inch horn, often in black & gold lacquer finish from 1906 onwards with rear-mounted crane support
Other Accessories: (on earlier models) oil can, speaking tube, chip brush
Historical Context
The Concert Phonograph was Edison’s direct answer to Columbia’s Graphophone Grand. It remained in production until 1907 but gradually fell out of favor with the introduction of the more affordable Gold Moulded Records. The model shown here – with the elegant "New Style Cabinet" – represents the late phase of the series: elaborate, rare, and finely crafted.
Until production ceased in July 1907, approximately 12,000 units were manufactured. The example on display is a particularly well-preserved and fully functional late-production model in outstanding original condition
