Thorens 'Excelda' portable gramophone: close-up of the Thorens transducer unit, 1932

Close-up of the Thorens transducer unit with steel stylus. Thorens was a renowned Swiss manufacturer of gramophones and this model is a remarkable feat of compact miniaturisation. The Thorens 'Excelda' was one of the last and most successful of the 'folding camera' gramophones, being introduced at the beginning of 1931 and remaining in production until the mid-1940s. The tone arm, winding handle and diaphragm were stowed inside the instrument and assembled for use. The Excelda could play a 10-inch disc but it was necessary to clamp the record to its tiny turntable. The chances of losing the clamping nut, however, were minimised by its being used also to secure the cover of the instrument. The Excelda was a well designed, reliable machine and, in addition to the brown 1932 model shown here, was available in a range of crackle finishes including black, green and red. Dimensions: Width: 126 Height: 51 mm (130 mm open) Depth: 280 mm