Musicphone - Canadian Antique Phonograph Project

Edward Moogk's Roll Back The Years on p. 62 states: "Operations started up in other Ontario centres. In Hamilton, the Newbigging Cabinet Company, specialists in player-piano rolls and record cabinets, came out with its Musicphone, a Canadian-built machine with an electrical motor, capable of playing both vertical and lateral cut records."

Newbigging experimented with manufacturing a phonograph back in 1909. Initially it was named the "Clarion Musicphone". From Canadian Music Trades Journal, August, 1916, p. 91:

"After years of experimenting, and a close connection with the talking machine trade by reason of their supplying talking machine and record cabinets for all makes of machines, the Newbigging Cabinet Co. of Hamilton have completed a new line of machines which are now ready for the market. The new machine has been named the "Clarion Musicphone". It is a high grade make, and the Journal is informed that the Newbigging firm does not purpose putting out any low priced models. As will be seen from the firm's announcement elsewhere in this issue, the cabinet is one of artistic lines. The motor is operated with storage batteries, and one of the chief features is that when the switch is turned on the motor board immediately starts off at full speed. The firm's announcement goes into details describing the sound-box, tone arm, and the other parts.

"The fact that the head of this firm, Mr. R.P. Newbigging, has for long had an intimate knowledge of the talking machine business and has already well established connection all over the Dominion, augurs well for Clarion Musicphone. The accompanying photograph shows the cabinet of this machine, which was made in the year 1909 with a screen in the front of fine brass wire mesh. "Not only was this cabinet made in our factory", concluded Mr. Newbigging, "but the two-spring motor, tone arm and soundbox were all made in Hamilton. For the construction of the cabinet we had nothing to go by but a verbal description of the machine. It is a far cry from this first attempt in 1909 to the electrically driven machine that we have today. From that day to this we have never stopped thinking talking machines."

For many years prior to August, 1916, the Newbigging Cabinet Company supplied cabinets for phonographs, records and cylinders. They advertised extensively in the Canadian Music Trades Journal. In August 1916 they introduced their own phonograph, the "Clarion Musicphone".

CMTJ, August, 1915, p. 85.

The earliest display ads in the Canadian Music Trades Journal, August, 1916, p. 72-73, refer to their electric phonograph as the "Clarion Musicphone".