The Columbia Grafonola was introduced in 1907 as an internal horn alternative to the Columbia Graphophones. Inspired by Victor's Victrolas which made phonographs that looked more like furniture than a mechanical device, Columbia and other manufacturers adopted the "-ola" suffix to their phonographs.
This unit was restored for a customer and features the shutter assembly at the front that was used for volume control. The motor was refurbished by Great Lakes Antique Phonographs and we restored the cabinet and reproducer.
The song heard in this video is I'll Build a Stairway To Paradise, written by George Gershwin and performed by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra.
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