Columbia Grafonola

[1][2] Until late 1925, all record players reproduced sound by purely mechanical means and relied on a so-called "amplifying" horn to efficiently couple the vibrations of the stylus and diaphragm to the space occupied by the listeners.

In 1906, the Victor Talking Machine Company, Columbia's arch competitor, introduced a line of models in which the horn and other hardware were concealed within a cabinet made to look like fine furniture rather than a mechanical device.

Other makers, adopting the distinctive suffix, introduced their own "-ola" internal horn machines, such as Edison's Amberolas and Columbia's Grafonolas.

Electrified Grafonolas never gained the popularity enjoyed by the spring-motor-driven versions due to substantially higher prices and lack of electrical service in rural areas.

In order to cater to increasingly prosperous clientele Columbia Phonograph Company begun to manufacture a series of ornate, limited edition period machines.