[78-L] Cylinder machine sighting

[victrola78s at aol.com]

Ahhh...yes, well once again Professor Biel is correct. How does he DO that? I know, diligent researching of the subject at hand before opening of mouth(or touching keyboard). I was relying on memory, and having gone back to actually LOOK at the YouTube video the cylinder does indeed break in "Shakey Jake"'s hand...with a resounding CRACK...as it then shatters. And the floor then resounds with the pieces hitting it with little crinkly noises. Still a hilarious video, notwithstanding the nauseous feeling one gets while watching a vintage cylinder or shellac disc meeting its end. And as far as the "joke" aspect of this bit, "Jake" must've been applying pressure with his fingers on the inside of the cylinder to effect the breakage-naughty man("Put your Hand Out...").

There is a German bakery & gift shop here in Indianapolis called Heidelberg Haus, run by Jurgen und Gabi Jungbauer. In the mittel of the store dividing the bakery/cafe from the market/gift shop stands an Amberola upright phonograph. There are about 40 cylinders in the storage area. I once saw a 20-something college boy type explaining the Amberola to his girlfriend. He chatted away about Edison, cylinders, recording history as he opened the drawer and removed a cylinder from its box to show the girlfriend. The impromptu demo ended when he hit the cylinder against the drawer and it cracked. He hesitated for only a moment, then replaced the cylinder in its box, closed the door on the Amberola and walked into the gift shop. It was obvious to me that I was the only one to witness this assholian act, and my stomach still quivers at the recollection of it.

Dennis "Foot-in-mouth Disease" Forkel