The latest Star Trek movie is causing quite a buzz on the internet so I thought it appropriate to feature the amazing AMi Continental 2, one of which we have nearly finished restoring , which, in style at least, is a definite spin off from the Space Race.
This Jukebox pre-dates the original Star Trek TV series by four years but a year after the launch of the first men into space, Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard.
Yuri Gagarin
The design of this jukebox mirrors the optimism in the future which was prevalent at the time.
The clear dome cover revelling the internal workings, turntable, tone-arm and selector mechanism looks remarkably like a space helmet visor and the curved display panel hovering above would not look out of place on the Bridge of the Star Ship Enterprise, Even the plastic facia under the dome is the same colour as Yuri Gagarin's space suit!
The clear dome cover revelling the internal workings, turntable, tone-arm and selector mechanism looks remarkably like a space helmet visor and the curved display panel hovering above would not look out of place on the Bridge of the Star Ship Enterprise, Even the plastic facia under the dome is the same colour as Yuri Gagarin's space suit!
Admittedly the design owes at least a nod to the French/British Jukebox from the 50's the Chantal Meteor
Chantal Meteor Advert, circa 1957
Which looks as if it's off the set of Forbidden Planet . (and I wouldn't be surprised if the Daleks design was not inspired by this Jukebox).
The Chanal is a child of 50's Si-Fi and the Continental a child of 60's Science fact.
The reality of both machines though is that the technology inside is from the late 19th/ early 20th century, Berliner's Gramophone, a selector mechanism with routes into the machinery of the19th century weaving industry . The display panels on both machines had to have at best typed or hand written labels carefully placed in the right slot so it corresponded to the record being played! No touch screen technology here.
This was also a time when jukeboxes were becoming old fashioned , people could afford record players, transistor radios and started buying in singles and LPs in large quantities.
The Continental 2 was the last Hurrah of the "Silver Age" Jukeboxes. After this jukeboxes hid there turntables and selector mechanisms as if embarrassed by the old technology they contained. Desperate to keep up with the new technologies of LPs the same year as the Continental this Design Award wining Seeburg LP player was produced.
I know which one I would prefer to own...
We hope to have the Continental Ready to show in June I will post details photographs when it has arrived in our Showroom.
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