Antique His Master's Voice (HMV) Monarch V Gramophone. England, Circa 1911–1913

Magnificent antique English His Master's Voice (HMV) Monarch V gramophone, manufactured approximately between 1911 and 1913. This elegant external-horn gramophone features a beautifully carved oak cabinet and an impressive black metal horn decorated with fine gold pinstriping. Its proportions, the beauty of its construction and the attractive contrast between the wood and the large horn give it an extraordinary presence. The machine retains its main original period components, has been carefully restored and is in excellent condition and perfect working order, providing clear, powerful and pleasant sound reproduction. The cabinet is made of oak, with a warm tone that enhances its beautiful natural grain. It features solid, elegant construction, with a broad stepped base formed by several moldings and a slightly raised central section. The corners are decorated with carved dog's-tooth pilasters, adding richness and character to the overall design. The front displays the famous His Master's Voice emblem, featuring Nipper the dog listening to a gramophone. This decal is a faithful reproduction of the original, applied during restoration to recover the machine's historical appearance. The wood has been carefully restored, bringing back the beauty of its finish and highlighting the carved details. The result is a cabinet with a magnificent appearance, its clean, attractive surface allowing the quality of the original craftsmanship to be fully appreciated. Its elegant design is characteristic of fine English gramophones from the early 20th century. One of the most striking features of the ensemble is its large Morning Glory-style metal horn, measuring 61 cm (24.02 in) in diameter. It has an elegant black finish decorated with fine gold lines that follow the curves of its various sections and emphasize its beautiful flared shape. The horn is an original period component and has been carefully restored, preserving the characteristic black-and-gold decorative scheme of the model. Its considerable size and the contrast between the black finish and gold pinstriping make it particularly impressive from every angle. The gramophone retains its metal gooseneck tonearm assembly, together with its original Exhibition soundbox, which has been completely rebuilt and carefully adjusted. The restoration has restored its excellent acoustic qualities, producing clear, powerful and pleasant sound, with the warm, distinctive character of antique 78 rpm records. The double-spring motor, housed inside the cabinet, has also been carefully serviced and adjusted. It works perfectly, with good power and consistent rotational speed, allowing records to be played normally. The cabinet, horn and various mechanical components all have a very well-maintained appearance. This is a fully functional gramophone, ready to be enjoyed as a working musical instrument rather than simply displayed as a decorative piece. With its beautifully carved cabinet, generous proportions and spectacular black and gold horn, this HMV Monarch V has a truly distinctive decorative presence. It would make a magnificent addition to a living room, library or study, where it could become one of the most attractive features of the space. It is also of particular interest for a collection of antique gramophones, both because of its historical identification and the quality of its construction and excellent working condition. A wonderful opportunity to acquire an authentic His Master's Voice Monarch V gramophone more than 110 years old, produced by one of the most important names in the history of recorded music. Its careful restoration and perfect working condition allow its new owner to enjoy the remarkable experience of listening to antique records on an original period machine from the very beginning. The elegance of its oak cabinet and its imposing black and gold horn complete a particularly desirable collector's piece and a truly special gift for any lover of music and antique mechanical instruments. Measurements: Base width: 38 cm (14.96 in). Base depth: 37.5 cm (14.76 in). Cabinet height: 18.5 cm (7.28 in). Horn diameter: 61 cm (24.02 in). Horn length: 70 cm (27.56 in). History of the His Master's Voice Monarch V Gramophone: The His Master's Voice Monarch V was one of the elegant external-horn gramophones manufactured by the British Gramophone Company during the early years of the 20th century. Introduced in late 1910 and marketed until August 1913, it belonged to a new generation of gramophones in which models began to be identified by Roman numerals, gradually replacing their earlier commercial names. The Monarch V was distinguished by its beautiful oak cabinet, with solid construction and carefully executed decorative details. The earliest examples featured a base with particularly elaborate moldings, but the design was later simplified while retaining the characteristic vertical pilasters with carved geometric decoration. This modification resulted in a second cabinet version with more balanced lines, corresponding to the example offered here. Its mechanism incorporated a powerful double-spring motor, a worm-gear drive, a ten-inch turntable and a speed regulator. It was equipped with the prestigious Exhibition soundbox and a curved gooseneck tonearm, a combination that provided excellent sound reproduction for its time. The Monarch V was available with a large Morning Glory-style metal horn or, for an additional charge, an elegant oak horn. Its production was relatively limited, with documented sales of 2,686 units during its entire period on the market. The HMV Monarch V represents an interesting stage in the development of English gramophones, when these machines combined precision mechanisms with finely crafted cabinets and large external horns. Today, it remains of considerable interest to collectors because of the quality of its construction, its short production period and its unmistakable early 20th-century appearance. The Recording Featured in Our Video: "Bésame mucho" ("Kiss Me Much"), Rina Celi, 1943. In our video, we play the song "Bésame mucho" ("Kiss Me Much"), performed by Spanish singer Rina Celi, accompanied by the Orquesta Plantación under the direction of J. Casas Augé. This is a 1943 recording of the famous composition, released by the Odeon label in Barcelona. Composed by Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez, "Bésame mucho" ("Kiss Me Much") became one of the most famous and frequently recorded romantic songs of the 20th century. Rina Celi (1920-1996), born in Barcelona, was one of the pioneers of jazz and swing in Spain. Her performance, described on the record label as "fox lento" ("slow foxtrot"), reflects the influence of American rhythms on Spanish popular music during the 1940s. Although this His Master's Voice Monarch V gramophone was manufactured around 1911, it can also play many later coarse-groove shellac 78 rpm records, including examples produced through the mid-1950s, provided that suitable needles are used. This makes it possible to enjoy an extraordinarily wide musical repertoire, spanning much of the history of early commercial sound recordings.