Table gramophone in handmade, decorated case : Repair Park No 1, RFC/RAF

Portable, spring powered table gramophone mounted in a hand-made neo-classical style wooden case with hinged lid and a pair of opening speaker doors at the lower front. The lid is finished with a marquetry design of a biplane facing the viewer, with a three-strip pearling border, while each of the lid's four sides are decorated with separately carved repeating pattern of bows and floral garlands. Each corner bears the head of a square-profile capitol column which ends at the base of the case. The cabinet base features a carved panel on each long side, that on the left bearing the wings of the RFC (Royal Flying Corps) within an oval frame, with floral garlands to each side, while the right side features the wings of the RAF (Royal Air Force), carved in the same manner. The rear panel bears the following in capital decorative script, augmented by floral garlands: 'REPAIR PARK NO 1 A.S.D. FRANCE'.

The two small front doors each feature a square decorative panel on both exterior and interior - that on the left exterior featuring the King's crown over an eagle with a wreath to the base, with the interior panel having a design of '1918', with the numbers interleaving. The right side exterior features the initials 'RFC' and King's crown withing an enclosing wreath; with the interior carved with the following: 'Designer Cpl Crutchley / Maker Cpl Boarder / Carver A.M. Crawford / All of the R.A.F.' The door handles are circular carved flowers.

The playing mechanism and ancilliaries all appear to be Columbia in origin. The playing head is marked Columbia, and is a 'Grafonola' model, early mica-sheet diaphram version with nickle-plated brass hardware and rubber gaskets. The tone arm and its support collar, most unusually, are both made from wood; the tone arm construction appears to be made from at least four to five pieces. The speed controller, marked from 50 rpm to 100 rpm, and the stop switch, are standard Columbia items, both nickle plated. The turntable is a steel pressing, covered with a circle of green felt - this is loose and not adhered, as expected. There is a small copper used-needle container, set into the playing board, and a sliding steel support arm for the lid. The tone arm appears to have been moved from its original position, further to the right - there are a couple of filled screw holes. A small curving brass plate is inset into the front of the playing board in front of the turntable - it may have been an aborted attempt at a stop mechanism.

There are two holes in the right side of the case - one takes the winding handle, while the other, with a brass facing plate, may also have originally been associated with a stop mechanism, now missing. The internal speaker is also made from polished wood. The lid has a single longitudinal split.

Most of the flat panels (lid, doors, sides) are made up from a pattern of two wide and one narrow length of timber in the dimensions 28mm/28mm/8mm, and it is suspected that this case may have been made up from salvaged laminated timber propellor blades.

No specific history is known regarding the use or acquisition of this particular item and it would appear, based on an investigation of the First World War Nominal Rolls, that none of the participants listed on the inside door facing are likely to be Australians.

What is known is that it was made in 1918 at No 1 Repair Park, Aeroplane Supply Depot at St Omer, France. Speculatively, the wood used in its manufacture was sourced from timber salvaged from aircraft propellers. The use of narrows strips of wood in a regular pattern of 28mm/28mm/8mm cannot really be explained in any other manner, especially given the unit's location at an aircraft repair section.

Of particular note is the quality of A.M. Crawford's carving which is evident in all panels on the gramophone case. The delicate curved tapering shell of the tone arm, made from multiple sections, is striking. It would appear that only the motor, turntable, playing head, speed and stop controls are commercial items.