HMV GRAMOPHONE MODEL 109, 1930's

The HMV gramophone is a model 109.
of the late 1920's, this one probably 1930's.

This Model 109 was advertised in the company brochure of 1928-1929 The Oak Model costing £10-10-0d Mahogany costing £12-0-0d

HMV, His Masters Voice, a famous style Gramophone from before WW2 and used well into the 1960's. The original style dates from 1913.

78rpm records were still being played well into the 1960's. 78 rpm records are still available, this player can be demonstrated in the museum.

In 1899 'The Gramophone Company' the UK partner to the US Gramophone Co, run by Emile Berliner, purchased the Trademark 'His Masters Voice' using a painting by Francis Barraud showing 'Nipper' the dog listening to a Phonograph, this had to be altered at the Gramophone Company's request, to show one of Berliners Gramophones as the original had an Edison type Phonograph.

• Watch the Gramophone in Operation on E2BN
  

Your comments:

• I used to be fascinated by the one at my gran's. It was bought from James Smith & Son, Lord St, Liverpool, and still has the dealers mark. I regularly used to play Jerry Lee Lewis' 'Great Balls of Fire' on it, until an accident. I recall a flexi-disc too, that ran at 80rpm iirc. Most other discs were classical (multi disc sets for a symphony).
  It was taken by an uncle and sacrilegiously got a paint job, but that has since had that rectified, and works perfectly well (there's even a tin of HMV 'Soft Tone' needles).
  It was funny getting digital recordings from it, of old George Formby (Snr & Jnr), and Sandy Powell records, by lying a Zoom recorder in front of it.
  .......... Paul F, Newton-le-Willows, 18th of April 2016
  
  
• It was a gift from my grand uncle Fr Antony when I was 4(1959)It was a second hand HMV 109 with a carton of records- mostly Hindi film songs and Malayalam drama songs. It was almost like a big toy for us- small children. I got it into pieces within 5-6 years! I still keep the remnants!
  .......... FRANCIS EDATHRAKARY, COCHIN INDIA, 24th of March 2015
  
  
• Took pictures last week of our old toybox, which has now had the innards put back in. By the magic of the internet I know know it as a HMV 109 with candy cane detail on lid. Thank you all.
  
  
  .......... Neil, Yokshire, England, 28th of December 2014
  
  
• Last summer I bought an Electrola tabletop gramophone in mint condition. The previous owner had inherited it from his grandparents in Vienna. First I didn't know much about the machine but investigating the interior I found some English inscriptions that made me curious about the background. The gramophone turned out to be an Electrola model 109, identical to the HMV Gramophone model 109 but with the Electrola label instead of 'Nipper'! The Gramophone Company, UK founded Electrola in May 1925 as German subsidiary. So, strange as it is, this gramophone model inspired me to research and learn more about all the historical circumstances between WWI and WWII...
  
  .......... Alfred Kaltenecker, Vienna, Austria, 17th of November 2013
  
  
• I have an HMV 109 which has been passed down from my grand parents who both worked at the EMI factory in Hayes during the 1920's and purchased it under a staff discount scheme.
  In perfect condition inside I have had it reconditioned on the outside with my 2 teenage children enjoying hearing it play, particularly George Formby's When Im cleaning windows.
  My memories are of playing it during power strikes in the 1970's !
  .......... wade lewis, sunbury on Thames, Middlesex, , 23rd of December 2012
  
  
• When I was a child growing up in Boxted Road, Hemel Hempstead, we had one of these. The make was the same but ours had "candy stick" edging to the top of the case. We used to play all sorts of games with it as well as playing records. Standing our toys on the turntable and seeing if we could throw them off
  
  Of course, like many others at the time, we had loads of 78's. My favourite was the Davey Crocket Theme. I was mortified when I tapped it on the side of the player and it broke. We also had the William Tell overture and the Robin Hood Theme.. My sisters favourite was Tab Hunters "Red Sails In the Sunset"
  
  Terrible though it is now, I can remember what happened to it! We got a Dansette record player with auto changer (that did for most of the rest of the 78's!) and the HMV ended up in the garden as a plaything for us kids! Sad end, but it was game to the end..
  .......... Pete Cleverley, Rushden, Northants, 25th of April 2012
  
  

A0538