I recently discovered that the antique victrola at the Hormel Historic Home is in working order.

We moved the large cabinet from the historic home’s Library to the Living Room, and one of our volunteers offered to show this 70s child how it worked. The victrola is not original to the Historic Home having been donated many years ago. In beautiful condition, the early musical cabinet includes records by Al Jolson (1928), The Champagne Music of Lawrence Welk (1939), and Frankie Laine (1949). I do not know who donated the Victrola to the HHH but, after hearing it play and researching its history, I am happy to have it in our collection.

Ours is a VV4-20 model. From www.victor-victrola.com I discovered that this model was a basic floor unit produced in the late 1920’s, toward the end of the acoustic phonograph era. The phonograph has a small Orthophonic horn, a 2-spring motor, and a plain mahogany cabinet with yellow grille cover. The 4-20 was introduced in 1928 and discontinued in 1929. The original 1928 selling price of the 4-20 was $135.00, and approximately 34,000 units were produced.

The Victor Talking Machine Company (maker of the “Victrola”) was one of the early producers of the phonograph and eventually became the dominant force in the marketplace. Because of their mass production from 1900 through the late 1920’s, most existing Victrola phonographs are not considered rare or of high value, but their sentimental worth can be significant to those who remember them.

Coincidentally, I recently found an article regarding a meeting at the Hormel home from the May 17, 1910 Austin Daily Herald describing the use of a Victrola.

“Mrs. A.W. Wright, Mrs. N.E. Clark, Mrs. F.E. Knopf and Mrs. George A. Hormel entertained at a Civic lunch Monday evening at the Hormel home.” The article lists the names of many prominent Austin residents who attended the event including Catherwood, Gleason, Eberhart, Banfield, and Cook. “The early hours of the evening were spent in a social way and listening to excellent selections from the Victrola. At 9:30 a.m. coffee and doughnuts were served, followed by an extended discussion of civic improvements. A large number of needed improvements were quite thoroughly threshed out, and two subjects that received the earnest consideration of all were street sprinkling and gates at the crossings of the Great Western railroad.”

The ladies enjoyed music from an earlier Victrola, but having one at the HHH now seems appropriate knowing one was used in the same space over 100 years ago.

Hearth & Home Series

10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 6, free

Buggy Rides and Parlor Visits, A History of Courting presented by Jaimie Timm, Mower County Historical Society. Tying into the new exhibit at the MCHS, Jaimie will describe the common day rituals and traditions of dating in the early 1900s. This enjoyable topic will surely stir up memories and conversations.

 History Happy Hour

5:30 p.m. social, 6 p.m. presentation, Monday, Oct. 12

Stories of Prohibition in Southern Minnesota, presented by Dean Ulland. Special guest will be Peter Ausenhus of the Worth Brewing Company

Free for members of the HHH, Mower County Historical Society, and Friends of the Library. $5 for non-members.