Whoa, check out the mechanism on this 1931 RCA Record Changer!

[BERIGAN]

My Dad, who is 82, and has his Dad's 1941 RCA Radio/record player (which plays both sides of the record, but sadly doesn't work anymore) was blown away by this clip. Had no idea they had automatic changers that early(In fact, the same guy has a clip of a 1928 Victor that's pretty cool too-just great footage of this units operation)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87P7xygDcs0

Edited December 29, 2013 by BERIGAN

[Leeway]

Funny you should bring this up. I was reading a biography of the artist Willem de Kooning last night, and they mention that de Kooning, in the early 1930s, despite having very little money, paid $700 for a record player/changer called The Incomparable Capehart, really an amazing price at the height of the Depression. This was supposedly the first record changer.

http://mulhollandpress.com/IncomparableCapehart.htm

It seems it operated much like the one in the You Tube video. De Kooning's player was destroyed when a workman in the building changed current from AC to DC without warning and the player was on. De Kooning was an avid jazz fan, played records constantly, and went to many of the jazz clubs.

[BruceH]

Thank-you Berigan! I had no idea that there were records changers back in 1931; such a pleasure to watch it in operation. So clever!