ONLINE ENCORE for the Koenigsberg Collection
Lot 1092:
Description
Brown wax phonograph cylinder manufactured by the Columbia Phonograph Company, dating to the late 1890s or very early 1900s. Accompanied by its original, brightly lithographed “Extra Loud-Highspeed” cardboard storage tube from the New York/London era, this piece represents the dawn of the commercial recording industry. A handwritten note attributes the recording to the famous pioneer recording artist Len Spencer, performing the turn-of-the-century selection “Ain’t I Yer Honey Boy” (Columbia catalog #7226). The cylinder is composed of an organic metallic soap “wax” formulation, characteristic of Columbia’s early Adolph Melzer formula blanks, which gave these early records their distinct light tan or brownish-caramel hue. The cardboard tube displays typical age-related wear, including minor scuffing, edge fraying, and a completely missing top lid, though the main body text and iconic graphics remain quite legible. The wax cylinder itself shows some surface mottling and light white spotting consistent with mold or moisture crystallization common to antique organic wax, but it retains its shape well with no deep cracks, major chips, or breaks to the fragile grooves. H 4.25″, W 2.5″, D 2.5″. Please see photos for condition. From the Allen Koenigsberg collection.
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