Further clarification on the cardboard record player: the earliest patent I could find for this concept appears to have been J. Jauquet’s “Pocket Speaking Devices” (on right) filed in 1953. Another more complicated, manually-operated, foldable record-player was J.S. Weiner’s “Sound Emitting Device”—patent applied for in 1967. The more recognizable version of the concept (on left) was from the “Record Player” patent of Max Meier-Maletz, applied for in 1972.
Global Record Network (GRN)—the Christian Missionary organization that was most responsible for the relative success of this version—claims that development of this design began around 1964. They call it the “CardTalk” and used it, not for music, but for religious indoctrination. The CardTalk was prominently featured in a documentary film about the history of GRN.
(3 cardboard record-player patents, after the fold…)
Jean Jauquet’s 1958 “Pocket Speaking Devices”
J.S. Wiener’s 1967 “Sound emmitting Device”
Max Meier-Maletz’s 1972 “record Player”
Also: CardTalks are a collectible.
Randy Ludacer
Beach Packaging Design
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