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Phonograph Room

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Historic Phonograph Exhibit

A new attraction opened early in 2011 at Brandon Music, already becoming widely known for its own classical CD labels,  its music café, concerts and Warren Kimble gallery.    The Phonograph Room, housed in the former gift shop, is home to a display of historic ‘record players’ dating from 1900 to 1930, with one or two more modern pieces too. Proprietor  and company CEO  Stephen Sutton has been collecting  vintage records  since the age of 14 (when the 78 disc was already obsolete) and has built up what he calls ‘ a reasonable collection’ of discs and cylinder recordings dating from 1895 onwards.  However he was never much interested in the original machines which played these records until the last couple of years.  “While living in England, I picked up one or two machines of no particular importance or value”, he explains, “but earlier this year, the opportunity arose to acquire a collection of machines needing complete restoration; so we have been busy with that and now feel we can share our collection with the public.”

Sutton stresses that the Phonograph Room is not a museum but a working display – of  Edisons, Victrolas and other ‘talking machines’ that would be found in the homes of our grandparents and great-grandparents and which revolutionized home entertainment, when there was no radio TV internet or computer gaming.  Also this is very much a work in progress, with machines being shown fully restored, part-finished and ‘needing TLC’.  Sutton believes that it is vital to preserve the social and musical heritage linked to these instruments and records; as more and more are being junked.

The Phonograph Room is open from 10 to 6 each day (except Tuesday). General admission is $2.00. A ‘guided talk’ of about 45 minutes with demonstrations  will cost $7.00 and will take place (for groups of up to ten)  most Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm or by prior arrangement  during the day or evening.

The admission fees, together with voluntary donations, will be used towards further maintenance and repair work and the expansion of the collection. A linked ‘collector’s corner’ will be added with 78s and 45s for sale (Sutton stresses that only duplicate copies are ever sold, as much of the record archive is on ‘permanent loan’ from supporters!) and other items of interest to collectors.

For more information contact Brandon Music at (802) 465 4071 or phono@brandon-music.net