Gramophone, portable [Peter Pan]
Maker and role
R Crispin and Company Limited, Manufacturer
Production date
Post 1923
See full details
Object detail
Accession number
1968.71
Production period
Description
Record player, portable, "Peter Pan", patent No.195.801. Small wooden box with a hinged lid and leather carry handle on top. Inside the lid of the box is a clamp holding the winding handle of the record player. The assembly is as follows: There is a 4-pronged attachment that opens up to form a "turntable" and sits on a spindle. A double-angled arm holds the round head which, in turn, holds a pin. There are 2 pitch screws on the front. The lower one, just below the slot for the winding handle, acts as the STOP/START pitch. The other screw regulates the speed of the "turntable". The more you unscrew it, the faster the "turntable" spins. Still in working condition. Pin missing.
Brief History
The Peter Pan portable gramophone was invented by Frederick Ferris in the United Kingdom in the early 1920s. Ferris filed patents for his 'Improved Gramophone' in the UK (1923) and elsewhere around the world. Ferris' company, the Peter Pan Gramophone Company Limited, manufactured several models of miniature portable gramophones in the UK.
This example is the first type, later models had further improvements such as an integrated folding speaker horn and full tone arm. The Peter Pan gramophones are powered by a clockwork motor made by Thorens, Switzerland. The entire machine breaks down into component parts including a collapsible spoked record table, soundbox with support arm, telescoping aluminium speaker horn, and crank handle. The components are able to be securely packed away into the main box which also houses the motor and operating mechanisms. Portable gramophones such as the Peter Pan were often referred to as Camera Gramophones or simply Cameraphones as when packed down they resembled portable box cameras of the time, for example the Kodak Brownie.
This example is the first type, later models had further improvements such as an integrated folding speaker horn and full tone arm. The Peter Pan gramophones are powered by a clockwork motor made by Thorens, Switzerland. The entire machine breaks down into component parts including a collapsible spoked record table, soundbox with support arm, telescoping aluminium speaker horn, and crank handle. The components are able to be securely packed away into the main box which also houses the motor and operating mechanisms. Portable gramophones such as the Peter Pan were often referred to as Camera Gramophones or simply Cameraphones as when packed down they resembled portable box cameras of the time, for example the Kodak Brownie.
Marks
R. Crispin & Co. Ltd. 8, Lloyd's Avenue London, E.C.8. Maker's Plate
"PETER PAN" Gramophone Patent 195,801 Maker's Plate
"PETER PAN" Gramophone Patent 195,801 Maker's Plate
Media/Materials
Credit Line
R Crispin and Company Limited. Post 1923. Gramophone, portable [Peter Pan], 1968.71. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
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