“THE HUMAN VOICE” GRAMOPHONE. Made in Australia.

A very unusual gramophone made in Melbourne with imported gramophone parts.. A large cabinet gramophone with one half of it having a secrétaire bureau. It is made from solid Oak which is uncommon as most large cabinets of the time were laminated. It is very heavy.

The Standard Phono Supply first appears in an advert in The Herald 23rd Sept 1918. An article the next day states that in early 1917, the company had moved it’s headquarters from London to Melbourne. As of now, I have not found any references to the company in London. It continues,"Imported Gramophones, find no work for Australian people. The ‘Standard’ Instruments keep two factories busy, one making cabinets and the other building up the finished article."

Over the next few months the Standard is advertised regularly in The Herald. “THE HUMAN VOICE” GRAMOPHONE. Made in Australia.

The final ad appears on the 25th Feb 1919 “Removal Sale for One Week Only. It’s followed by a small article in The Argus on the 8th March 1919 stating the partnership between, Bertram Harcourt Edwards and Herbert Palmer Wynne is dissolved. The whole venture lasted just 5 months, proving just how competitive the gramophone business was in it’s infancy.

Here is a Youtube video.