28/07/2022
Ey up! It’s tick tock Thursday and what a treat we have! It has taken a while but we are now proud to offer this incredibly rare and important HMV Model 1 automatic Gramophone with a provenance that goes to the top! Released in 1928, the HMV model 1 was the most expensive automatic Gramophone on the world. Available only to the elite of English society it featuring a 9ft Re-entrant horn, electric changer mechanism, the finest walnut case including the optional extra doors (£15) and light! Which was an extra 6 guinea.. in total this machine would have cost around £150. It doesn’t sound a lot now but back in 1928 you could have purchased a small house for that sum. The average weekly wage for an engine driver was 50 shillings (£2.5). We have totally overhauled and carefully conserved this absolute gem and it now works as it should… now to its history… this Machine was originally purchased by Baron de Rothschild and was installed in Waddesden Manor, famous for their fabulous society parties including members of the royal family and noted dignitaries this gramophone would have been the “show” piece to keep the music playing!. Having being moved to an outside store possibly during the Second World War when the main three rooms in the house were emptied to accommodate 100 evacuated children. The Gramophone remained in the store until around 20 years ago when it was purchased by the previous owner. This is a significant and important collectors piece on its own but with its provenance is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of living history.
