Victor Auxetophone



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Introduced around 1906, the Auxetophone was another attempt to go beyond the limits of acoustic amplification. Columbia had attempted to ramp up the volume with an amber friction wheel with its Twentieth Century cylinder Graphophone, in Victor's case the Auxetophone experimented with pneumatic amplification. An air compressor was installed in the innards of the case. Note the metal tubing running to the special reproducer.

The last three images are links to an article in the Annual Report of the Smithsonian, 1908, showing technical details of the Auxetophone mechanism and reproducer.

Auxetophone decal
Front panel with original colorful decal. View larger image.		 Auxetophone reproducer
Special reproducer. View larger image.
Auxetophone motor
The turntable was driven by a regular Victor spring motor. View larger image.		 Auxetophone side view
Extra controls.
Auxetophone tone arm assembly
Pneumatic tubing connecting to tone arm assembly. View larger image.		 Victor Auxetophone
The handsome but unembellished mahogany case belies the complexity of its contents.
report page 226
An excerpt from the Annual Report of the Smithsonian, 1908. The Gramophone and the Mechanical Recording and Reproduction of Musical Sounds by Lovell N. Reddie. These three pages contain technical drawings and explanations of the Auxetophone mechanism.		report page 227
Page 227 of the Smithsonian report.
report page 228
Page 228 of the Smithsonian report.