Fact and Fiction

Fact

The “Royal “ gramophone in Japan was purchased legally from Fred Smith’s estate ( see earlier post ) .  Interestingly the “Royal “ tag came from Fred  , Fred purchased the Gramophone from the son of the managing director of HMV , it was one of two made and the son said it was a prototype fro a gramophone made and presented to King George the Vth , Fred had  a letter from the son stating this ,

It was also lucky that the gramophone survived , Fred purchased it from an advert in LOOT for the princely sum of £15 ! He arranged to collect and pay  , but was delayed in getting to Hayes to collect it , he arrived to find the son had loaded it onto a trailer and was going to take it to the local tip thinking Fred wasn‘t coming . Saved in the nick of time !,

And now read  the fictional fantasy of a deranged mind

http://gramophonecollecting.myfastforum.org/Was_fred_Smith_s_Collection_Stolen__about1799.html

http://gramophonecollecting.myfastforum.org/The_quot_True_quot_Story_of_Fred_Smiths_Collection_sale__about1819.html