House Filling Up with Antiquated Music Devices

Recent visitors to our humble abode have probably noticed new antiques sprouting up here and there. First there was the Victrola, purchased last year and installed in a corner of the dining room. It's a marvel of manual music that never fails to bring a smile to everyone that sees it. My own smiles were lacking for a while as the 90-year old mechanism had to be disassembled, cleaned, and put back together shortly after I got it. The Victor Talking Machine Company isn't exactly honoring warranties anymore, but fortunately I like that kind of thing. She's finally playing outdated music again, and I still haven't heard all of the records that came with it.

Next up was the 1937 Zenith radio. That was an easier restoration, and I'll never have to worry about lubricating springs, although I suppose electricity brings its own set of problems. That's up and running in the office, and I'll probably refrain from getting any other old radios as long as it's around. Oh wait, there was an old Silvertone I found in the trash down the street. That one's currently in the basement; a future project.

The king daddy of them all, however, is a 1937 Wurlitzer jukebox. Technically it's an "automatic phonograph," as they hadn't coined the term "jukebox" at that point. I mulled this one over for some time, as it needs lots and lots of work. But, I just couldn't resist the challenge. I love old things and this one is just so neat. This project is definitely long-term, but I look forward to bringing the old thing back to life. Maybe by the time Keiran takes his first steps. That would be great, actually, since he could help me get it up the basement stairs.

You can see pictures of the Victrola here, and the Zenith here. Additional reading is available on the Projects page of CraterRanch.com.
-K

UPDATE: I have since sold the Zenith, which since posting this article had been sitting in the basement for protection from Keiran, and also to give him some more play space. It was a nice unit but it went to a good home and if I ever want another upstairs there are plenty out there to be had (not to mention a couple in the basement).