We’ve commissioned Photographer Peter Tenzer to shoot interior vignettes for our next book. It will feature industrial lighting and furniture from our extensive collection. The Early Electrics showroom is housed in a 100+ year old industrial complex. We can’t think of a better backdrop for this project. For further information contact Steve Erenberg at info@earlyelectrics.com

This amazing and complex Invalid chair is as rare as they get… but more important is it’s look. The condition is untouched with most of the original paint. The green with red pin stripping has the color of an early Harley Davidson motorcycle. I have seen pictures of only one other example of this chair. It had the wheels removed and made a perfect chase lounge. Note the stick shift on the right side. The handle is an adjustment that tilts the chair go any angle desired from seat to bed and everything in-between. It’s in perfect working condition. We had fresh custom made pads made for the chair. $1600

This is an original full size railroad “velocipede” (from the French for “swift footed”). It’s the earliest manufactured model. In fact this historic vehicle is known as “No.1 Velocipede Car” in the manufacturers 1800s catalog. Examples are rarely found outside museums. It dates from the 1870s and is in amazing untouched condition. It has a beautiful rustic patina showing the weathered green paint. Note the nice wood turned details. It’s also in perfect working condition. These railroad Velocipedes were used by RR maintenance to check the line for brakes in the rail or loose spikes. Station telegraph operators were also able to deliver messages to people living in towns along the track with one of these. It come complete with the third wheel and outrigger that keeps it on the track. For a smaller display footprint the third wheel and arm can easily be removed. Call Steve Erenberg for pricing at erenberg@bestweb.net

A BIT OF HISTORY…
After a long work week, George Sheffield didn’t really want to walk home. But it was the 1870s, and trains didn’t run on the weekend when he needed to make the 10-mile commute from his job in Three Rivers, Michigan to home in Burr Oak. So he walked, but as he did he pondered how to make the trip easier.
The answer came in his invention of a “velocipede” or three-wheeled, hand-powered vehicle made for travel on train tracks. Without the railroad company’s knowledge, Sheffield began driving his velocipede between work and home. One night while driving, he discovered a broken rail and alerted railroad officials in time to save a train from derailing. His unique mode of transportation, now known to the officials, piqued their interest and they requested he build several more. The velocipede proved useful for track inspection and maintenance and in 1879 Sheffield patented it. Three years later the Sheffield Velocipede Car Company incorporated.
In the early 1900s, Sheffield Car Company (“Velocipede” was dropped in 1892) consolidated with Fairbanks Morse. Products included not only velocipede construction but also construction of engines for the Navy, testing of pumps and marine parts and manufacture of copper wire. Fairbanks Morse even built railroad motor cars, of which a handful still exist.

In the first thirty years of the twentieth century, a new art form took America and the world by storm. Cinema. Film. Motion pictures. “The picture show.” Whatever one called it, movies captivated the masses in a way nothing else ever had, and our love affair with movies has continued to the present day. The story of the theatre organ is, in a real sense, the story of the movie palace which housed it; and its existence may be solely attributed to the fact that the movies of the time were silent. The movie might be part of a larger show which included musical numbers and stage acts, and the movie itself was shown not on the miniscule screens of today, but on the “big, silver screen.” And, likely as not, that show would include a performance on the giant theater organ which was installed in the auditorium.

The large xylophone looking contraption pictured is the Marimba Section from one of these historic theater organs. We were called in to remove this last remaining section from the upper catwalks of an early New York auditorium. The instrument is signed and dated 1908. It looks to be in amazing condition with only a couple of hammers missing. The metal parts are all nickel plated. We cleaned one key and one pipe just to see what we had… this will shine up like jewelry. As you can see there’s also wood parts. The original theater caretaker must have loved this organ because the furniture grade mahogany all looks as if it was cleaned and polished regularly. There are 49 keys and each one worked on it’s own hammer and each has a resonating pipe. It’s quite an impressive object. All these units were built to order and no 2 are alike. It goes with out saying but I will… These organs are beyond rare. Most theaters could never afford to own one and they were found mostly in large cites. To see one of these in action is a real treat. You can still hear one working in Rockefeller Centers auditorium and the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre. We had the custom rolling stand built to display it properly.
For more information and pricing contact us at erenberg@bestweb.net.

I am told that this Alter piece was used as the focal point in ceremonies and is from “The Order of the Eastern Star”. This woman’s fraternal organization is in some way connected with the Masons. It is both a spectacular lamp and secret society icon. A 12 inch diameter hand painted and etched stained glass star is at the center. Surrounding that are 32 prism crystals that create a 34 inch round illuminated starburst. The lamp stands an impressive 6 foot tall on it’s iron base. It feels edgy and important at the same time but also projects a bizarre presence that is difficult to find without being corny…. SOLD

1943 WWII Grumman 6F6 Hellcat Fighter Aircraft – Working Front End Cutaway.
This recently found cutaway model is an important part of aircraft history. The model is dated 1943 and was the year they introduced the 6F6 Hellfire fighter aircraft. This was one of the rare and surviving teaching aids that helped our WWII pilots and mechanics make this one of the most successful fighters. This example was recently discovered and was in storage for over 60 years. It’s in perfect condition. All we needed to do was clean it up and build a display stand. The electronics and mechanics are in working order. This display illustrated the three-bladed Curtiss Electric propeller. With the push of a button the 3 props will twist and change their angle. The cutaway allows you to see the gears and components in action and show the engineering that made this innovation possible.
The cutaway also comes with a custom made 3 wheel dolly to help move it around (not pictured). For more information contact us at erenberg@bestweb.net

A BIT OF HISTORY.
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy (USN) service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the “Wildcat’s big brother”. The Hellcat was the first USN fighter designed in view of lessons from combat with the Japanese Zero. The Hellcat was credited with destroying 5,271 aircraft while in service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps (5,163 in the Pacific and eight more during the invasion of Southern France, plus 52 with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm during World War II), which was more than any other U.S. naval aircraft. Postwar, the Hellcat was phased out of front line service, but remained in service as late as 1954 as a night fighter.

This large spectacular tin birdhouse is a one-of-a-kind folk Art gem. It’s a 12 room Purple Martin Hotel. The conical shape and 3 decorative fins give it a futuristic Jetsons look… It could even be called Art Deco. This impressive sculpture stands over 7 foot tall on the it’s portable iron stand. The house itself has a 26 inch diameter and is 26 inches tall. The weathered patina has just the right look. I would date this to the early part of the 20th Century…SOLD

“Grabenpanzer” (Steel Body Armor)… This type of body armor was introduced in 1916. It was specially designed to protect troops who were to hold a position against all attacks. The armor consisted of a breastplate, with flapped protective sections for the stomach and groin. It was made of sheet steel of about 5/15 inch in tickness, and was ideally suited for guard duties, exposed trench locations , machine gunners or by snipers holding a position.

This rare and heavy WW1 trench armor makes a striking display. These were not manufactured in large numbers and are very hard to find outside of a museum. It’s professionally mounted on a hand-made museum quality stand. I’ve pictured the back of the armer and the mounting structure so you can see the care taken to display this unique item. I also show a close up of the armor’s finish and original patina… just the thing collectors look for. It stands over 44 inches tall. Priced at $4200. You can now see this item and the rest of our collection at the new Radio-Guy showroom in Buchanan, New York.

And you thought I lived the glamorous life. Before the design sessions, treasure hunts and hard work The Black Cow is where you’ll find me. Every morning starts the same way. We’ve traveled the world and as luck would have it the best cup is right here. The only change I needed to make was the lighting over the counter. Now everything is perfect!!! If you can’t find me in my favorite chair… you’ll always see the yellow ugly mug up on the shelf behind Mr. Grant.

Above are pictures of the actual Maxim 1910 with ‘Sokolov’ wheel mount & shield – 7.62x54mm – now in our collection. In addition there’s a silent move clip of a mad Russian machine gunner using a Maxim 1910. The example we are offering has been decommissioned for safety but is complete including the original ammunition case. It has also been polished out and makes a very striking display. It’s 60″x 27″x 21″ with 12″ diameter wood spoked Calvary wheels…SOLD
A quick history…
The Russian PM1910 (Pulemyot Maxima na stanke Sokolova or “Maxim’s machine gun model 1910 on Sokolov’s mount”) was a heavy Machine Gun used by the Russian Army during World War One and subsequently by the Red Army during World War Two.
Originally adopted in 1910, the Machine Gun was derived from Maxim’s original model and chambered to fire Russian 7.62x54mm rifle ammunition.
The Machine Gun was mounted on an improvised wheel mount which made it transportable and it was also fitted with a gun shield. The weapon was gradually replaced during the Soviet Era by the SG-43 Goryunov towards the end of the Second World War.
The gun saw prominent action throughout the October Revolution of 1917 and subsequent Russian Civil War. There are numerous pictures depicting M1910 Machine Guns mounted on Tachankas’. During the turbulent years of revolution, Bolshevik propaganda featured Lenin manning a 1910 Machine Gun on more than one occasion.