I guess I got started young, comparatively, but then my earliest interest was more about records than phonographs. My granny's best friend when I was a toddler was the assistant of a program director at a Memphis radio station, and since I had appropriated all my family's records by age 3, my default Christmas/birthday presents were always records, mostly 78's but many obscure white-labels, advertising records, you name it. I was eaten up with fascination for anything that turned in a circle and anything with a sharp point, and created many phonographish toys (and destroyed plenty of records in the process) as a youngster. Then one evening, our neighbors, whom we'd known for years, showed us one of their random possessions -- a cylinder player, probably an Amberola 50 (though it could've been a 30 but seemed bigger to me then) and maybe a hundred cylinders. I went ape over it and asked them to keep playing more cylinders all night. They rewarded my enthusiasm with a DD of Dalhart's "In The Baggage Coach Ahead", which changed the way I thought about popular music and songwriting in general. I was 13.
With every record, from since I can remember, I've gotten the sense of peeking through a window at a frozen moment in another place and time, and cherished that like magic. I remember staring into the grooves of any given favorite and wondering, amazed, how this inanimate, cold piece of material, this squiggly line pulled under a sharp rock, was capable of making me feel things so intensely. I still feel the same way. happy & safe new years to all, Robert ----- Original Message ----- From: "Douglas Houston" <cdh...@earthlink.net> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@oldcrank.org> Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 5:01 PM Subject: RE: [Phono-L] The List and Excitment about phonographs >I guess I'm different. The famly had a Victrola XI in fumed oak that dated > from about 1919. There were about 65 records with it, and in 1937 or so, > my > mom showed me how to play the thing. I'd spend hours, playing those > records. Mom couldn't figure out how I could enjoy that old music, and I > never worried why, myself. Neighbors would give me records, and finally, I > got new ones for Christmas and birthdays. It went on from > there....uncontrolloed. > > >> [Original Message] >> From: Mario Frazzetto <mari...@optusnet.com.au> >> To: Phono-L <phono-l@oldcrank.org> >> Date: 12/27/2006 9:18:53 PM >> Subject: [Phono-L] The List and Excitment about phonographs >> >> Hi Folks, >> >> I was sitting here thinking about the hobby and people that I have met > and spoken to because of it (including the very helpful members of this > list). >> And I can honestly say that I have NEVER been more excited about my hobby > than I am at present. I've only been collecting 15 years (since I was 13) > but feel I have been welcomed by so many people with so much wider > knowledge and experience, and have made some friends in the process. This > list has served a big part in that excitement. >> >> So thankyou and I wish you all a Very Happy New Year! >> >> Best Regards, >> Mario Frazzetto (Melbourne, AUSTRALIA) >> >> www.PhonographsAndGramophones.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Phono-L mailing list >> Phono-L@oldcrank.org >> >> Phono-L Archive >> http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/ >> >> Phono-L RSS Feed >> http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/feed/index.rss >> >> Support Phono-L >> http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank > > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > Phono-L@oldcrank.org > > Phono-L Archive > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/ > > Phono-L RSS Feed > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/feed/index.rss > > Support Phono-L > http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank >
