Starting in 1905, various manufacturers made replacement horns to improve both the appearance and sound of Edison cylinder phonographs.  This is a Flower Horn manufactured by Hawthorne and Sheble Manufacturing Co. in Philadelphia, which was at one point the largest aftermarket manufacturer in the world with several large factories.

Factory Number 1 was at Howard and Jefferson Streets. This 80,000 square feet facility manufactured flowered horns, floor cranes and the Star talking machine. Factory Number 2 was a 25,000 square foot factory at Masher and Oxford Streets dedicated to spun bell horns and flower horns. Factory Number 4, at 1109-1121 N. Front Street, was a complete iron foundry. We’re not sure why there was no Factory Number 3…

This Hawthorne and Sheble horn is married to a walnut base from a fallen tree in Swarthmore & finished with Betty’s Board Butter (beeswax and mineral oil). You may want to re-oil the base occasionally.

Empowered Flower currently resides in Seattle, WA with Debbie Bacharach.