1800s Edison Class M Electric

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About the Item

The Edison Class M is an important part of history. Fot collectors its one of the most important and sought after Phonographs to be found. This is Edison's first successful cylinder machine and is powered by a DC motor. These were produced before he perfected his hand crank version. These rare machines tend to change hands privately. Most of the 100 or so known examples can be found in old collections and Museums. This Edison came fresh out of an estate and has not seen the light of day for decades. The condition is untouched and amazing. It does come with the extra parts pictured. Edison Class M History. The Class M was Edison's first major improvement on the tinfoil phonograph of 1877. After a reported 72-hour marathon session ending on the morning of June 16, 1888, Edison was photographed with his "perfected"Class M phonograph (see below). Edison liked this picture of himself as the "the Napoleon of Invention" so much that he had it copied as an oil painting which was displayed in his office for the rest of his life. Made several years before the invention of a suitable spring-driven phonograph motor, the Class M is driven by an electric motor powered by a heavy set of Edison-Lalande Type S cells. Although most people think of the Class M as being powered by early Grenet cells, such as was pictured in the famous photograph of Edison below, those laboratory batteries were superceded by the superior Edison-Lalande cells after 1889, by the time the Class M went into the commercial market. The governor, hidden under the bedplate in most phonographs, is prominently positioned on top of the machine, mounted vertically. Class M Phonographs were manufactured through 1890 for the North American Phonograph Company, which originally attempted to lease them as business machines for dictation. This proved to be a dismal failure, but the entertainment possibilities of the phonograph quickly caught the attention of the general public. As the North American company slowly sank into eventual bankruptcy (in 1894), Class M phonographs were finally offered for outright sale, both for business and home use. However these were extremely expensive machines ($225 when average salaries were around $40 a month), and not many were sold. Today the Class M is one of the most desirable of all antique phonographs.

Creator:
Edison (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 11 in (27.94 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)Depth: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)
Style:
Industrial (Of the Period)
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
Late 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1890s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Peekskill, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU88389212831

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