before hi-fi …
Toronto. Editor Bob Lansdale in this article writes about visiting the town of Fowlerville, a few miles northwest of Detroit with some MiPHS members.
The house he visited has a huge collection of kinetoscopes – and antique audio equipment as shown at left.
The premises are occupied by Ken Stokes, John Johnson and Teddy the cockapoo. Shown at left is the living room [c 2000/2001] filled with audio equipment of the Victorian and Edwardian ages.
Bob begins his article, “Being close to the international border makes it convenient to participate in the activities of one of our American counterparts. Such was the case when I accompanied members of the Michigan Photographic Historical Society [MiPHS] on a Saturday sojourn to the home of John Johnson and Ken Stokes in Fowlerville, some 60 miles north-west of Detroit.
“The setting has a small town atmosphere with a sedate bungalow style home of white clap-board that belies what awaits inside. The tour was so impressive I had to return a second time to record the exhibits on film…
“After a short introduction everyone was invited inside to see ‘the collection’. It seemed slow for the gathering to file inside as if the first to enter were hard pressed to choose their way or move on to some other choice exhibit. But once I, too, was past the threshold I realized we were entering a museum … crossing a time warp to the early 1900’s.
“In all directions, in every nook, covering every wall and shelf were hundreds of examples of old gramophones with their big horns, and movie projectors with their golden brass sprockets and gears. This collection had, in fact, taken over the house, taken over a double garage, taken over the loft, and, as I found out, taken over several other storage facilities.
“Narrow paths wind through the rooms making it hard to move past anyone taking time for a close inspection of some prize item. One visitor described it as ‘being lost inside a Christmas tree.’
“The displays are the result of merging two collections. Ken Stokes focuses on musical machines and has accumulated 40 thousand records, primarily 78’s with a zest for jazz of the 1920’s and 30’s. Juke Boxes, player pianos and nickelodeons fill the air at the drop of a coin, –the pride is to restore the items to working condition.
“Any memorabilia that goes with the theme is of interest; doilies, lamps, Mazda lamp bulbs and trinkets consume all space atop the time-piece furniture.
“John Johnson points to his grandparents for perking his interest in old things. They possessed intriguing battery-operated radios that worked with vacuum tubes; his great grandfather’s brother owned a Regina music box-phonograph combination.
“John eventually found a Regina Corona which operates with 27 inch punched discs. John’s main interest is in movie projection equipment which harkens back to 1935 when he showed movies to neighbourhood kids with a handcranked projector in a garage.
After the Second World War John bought up a bunch of old movie equipment from a dealer who was going out of business. In April 1952 he entered a new phase of his life when he refurbished an old theatre in Caspian, Upper Michigan, fixed up a couple projectors and started a movie house, running 1st and 2nd run films.
“Success encouraged him to install bigger equipment – even venturing to show the first 3-D movie. At the same time John continued with his daytime job as an electrician.” …
Bob continues his story. Members read the tale and viewed the many photos in the issue 26-5 pdf file on the free members-only DVD/thumb drive. If you aren’t yet a member, see the ways to join (it’s inexpensive) under ‘Membership’ above and at right. Direct membership questions to member@phsc.ca.
