The gramophone "Phyrnis" is a wonderful example of an international collaboration. The Swiss brothers Charles and Jacques Ullmann opened in 1899 at the noble adress 11 rue du Faubourg Poisonnière in Paris a business where they sold "Zonophone" gramophones. Soon the started also selling "Odeon" and "Fonotipia". Phrynis also pressed their own records - quite similar design as Pathé.
Together with music-box manufacturer John Jaccard, who lived in Ste Croix (Swiss Jura), several gramophones has been built. Jaccard delivered the components, Ullman assembled them in Paris. The Phrynis gramophones were mainly built for the export to the United States. One trademark shows an eagle which holds it´s wings protecting over the American and French flags, the white Swiss cross in between. Inscription: "Phrynis, Importé de Suisse".
Something peculiar is the horn of these luxury models of Phrynis. The color of the horn painting was applied very thick, then spread over the surface with a device similar a comb. So the structure of the horn was like a record.
Source: http://www.grammophon.ch
