Standing Victrola

Item

Tags

Joy Play Entertainment Family Music Resilience Cultural Transmission Cultural Awareness Enjoyment Celebration Healing Relaxation Time together Relationship and Community Building Access Generations Ownership Purchasing Art Storytelling Growth Determination Home Success Work
Title
Standing Victrola
Description
Originally belonged to the Smith brothers (Alfonso, Clarence, Raymond, and Leon), who were born in Neshanic Station to Joseph Smith Jr. and Cora Smith of Pennington. The brothers pooled their money to purchase the Victrola for their family's enjoyment.
Cora May Smith (née Houston) (February 1880-April 9, 1925) and Joseph W. Smith Jr. (October 1875-February 11, 1956) were married on June 19th, 1897 at the First Presbyterian Church of Ewing (Presbyterian Historical Society 2016). They had four children: Alfonso (November 1898-February 13, 1986), Clarence (January 1900-unknown), Raymond (1902-unknown), and Leon (1904-unknown). Alfonso was employed at Pennington’s Howe’s Nursery for 60 years at the time of his death, making his first year of employment there in 1926 at age 28 (The Times, 1986). It is possible that he had this job at the phonograph’s time of purchase.

Phonographs produce melodies for listeners to enjoy. In a 1919 Starr advertisement from the Toronto Daily Star, Starr claims to be “symbolical of tonal supremacy in the phonograph world” that are “positively the highest grade and most perfectioned phonographs ever produced” (Canadian Antique Phonograph Society, n.d.). Based in Richmond, Indiana, Starr originally was just a piano company but ventured to produce phonographs in 1916 (Canadian Antique Phonograph Society, n.d.). Phonographs retailed around this time for $125-150 (Library of Congress, n.d.).
Video of Starr Phonograph playing
A Starr Phonograph manual
Contributor
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
Date Created
(c. 1900)
Creator
Mills, Beverly (Smith family descendant)
Rights
This work is believed to be in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States. For more information, see http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/
Format
Physical Object
Extent
1 item
Spatial Coverage
Neshanic Station, NJ
Publisher
SSAAM
Is Part Of
TBD by SSAAM
Subject
Phonograph.
Starr Piano Company
Music
Neshanic Station (N.J.)
Pennington (N.J.)
Richmond (Ind.)
Item sets
Black Joy & Resilience
Media
Standing Victrola