Victor Auxetophone

The Victor Auxetophone was introduced in 1906 at almost the same moment as the Victor Victrola. One of the these two radically new instruments was destined to revolutionize the home entertainment market. This is the story of the other one.

The principle of the Auxetophone was developed in England by Sir Charles Parsons, who coined the name for the instrument. The Auxetophone was the first talking machine to use an external power source to amplify the sound of the phonograph record. Parsons used a compressor to create a pressurized sound box. The pressurized air acted upon a set of reeds within the sound box, and caused them to vibrate with a greater amplitude than could a standard sound box diaphragm. The result was a much greater volume of sound coming through the horn. The instruments worked well, but were very fussy and easily got out of adjustment. Because of the complexity, the Auxetophone was an expensive instrument best suited primarily to use in public areas where the cost could be recovered through increased business to the Auxetophone owner. Large public outdoor recitals often featured the Auxetophone and used the great volume of sound to good advantage. It was also used as a way to entice the public to enter the owner's establishment, such as a theater. Because the sound carried so well, customers would be drawn from far away.

The Auxetophone was used in concert to bring famous singers to small towns. Often a live band would accompany a recording by a well know singer such as Caruso, providing the next best thing to a live appearance of the artist. In this way, virtually any small town could present the top talent of the day in a "personal" appearance.

Because of the constant maintenance these machines required, they were not very popular. In spite of this, however, the Auxetophone remained in the Victor catalog for about a dozen years.

The Auxetophone cost $500 new. When you compare this cost with that of the most popular standard Victor at about $35, it is obvious that only a select few people could afford the instrument.

The Auxetophone shown in the photograph below is on public display at the Johnson Victrola Museum in Dover, DE. The bottom photograph shows the Auxetophone blower unit and air storage tank housed in the lower portion of the cabinet.