OT: Motiograph.......How High will it go?

**tomt** · June 8th, 2012, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Audio_by_Goodwill

What's the connection between Motiograph and Western Electric?

not sure, but inquiring minds want to know -

052 motiograph dlx

Bioscope.biz | Motiograph DE LUXE

052 motiograph dlxa

**bowtie427ss** · June 8th, 2012, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by Audio_by_Goodwill

A room full at the time those Motiagraphs were installed? Don't those date from the 40's or earlier? I wouln't have thought Stadiums from that time frame would have been all that big, or have extensive PA systems. I beleive many of the old baseball stadiums were added on to. I don't think they started out as the huge coluseums they are today.

Places like LA Coliseum, Madison Square Garden, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway are pushing a century in age and had large installed PA systems as soon as the technology existed.

There used to be photos on the web of an install at i think the LA Coliseum showing a wall of either Altec or Western Electric amplifiers and associated equipment that would have been of late 40's or very early 50's vintage, as of yet i cannot find the site that hosted them or the pics themselves. There are other similar large early installs pictured on the web, but for some reason they're not as easily found as they once were.

What's the connection between Motiograph and Western Electric?

I think it depends on the vintage. There are Motiograph branded "shearer" systems that i believe were actually built by WE. My wag would be that WE at first made amplifiers for them and gave them the Motiograph brand, then sold Motiograph license to build them in their own shops. Since these particular amps don't seem to bear any mention of license, maybe they are in fact unrelated to WE.

**Altec Best** · June 8th, 2012, 05:11 PM

Here's a cool photo of the amplifier room at Warner Bros. 1946 These are WE though...

WBstudio 1946

http://www.moviemice.com/we/index.php

**tomt** · June 13th, 2012, 07:49 PM

at just over 2k

'reserve not met'

**Audio_by_Goodwill** · June 13th, 2012, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by tomt

at just over 2k

'reserve not met'

I wonder what the reserve was. I sent the seller a message to ask where the amps came from, and he stated that they were from his junk collector uncle, that had passed away. He didn't know where his uncle had gotten them.

**bowtie427ss** · June 20th, 2012, 03:02 PM

Just stumbled over this on the interwebs: Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1921

**Panomaniac** · June 20th, 2012, 08:33 PM

Pretty amazing to think they were doing coast to coast live speeches in 1921. A lot of folks did have a phone or even electricity back then.

**bowtie427ss** · June 20th, 2012, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by Panomaniac

Pretty amazing to think they were doing coast to coast live speeches in 1921. A lot of folks did have a phone or even electricity back then.

can you remember seeing early audio components(amplifiers, compression drivers, etc) that were labeled "telephone amplifying device"?

**tomt** · June 20th, 2012, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by bowtie427ss

can you remember seeing early audio components(amplifiers, compression drivers, etc) that were labeled "telephone amplifying device"?

**bowtie427ss** · June 20th, 2012, 11:51 PM

Touche` Tomt! Check out this bad boy with an ERPI label. Is that one of those 18 inch drivers(actually made in part by jensen?) from an early shearer system? Erpi ta 4181 a loudspeaking telephone vintage speaker