Summary:
Actually, the name of the manufacturer was the Victor Talking Machine Co. which made these models from 1901 to 1929 when they were bought by RCA.The best book for their history (with photos) is "Look for the Dog" by Robert Baumbach.
Just remember to change the needles after every record, since the system was designed to wear out the stylus before the disc. With the proper restoration, these machines will play well into the next millennium.
Antique Phonographs

Summary:
I can not review, only remember that this Victrola VV44U 122096, stood in my parents living room and my fathers home before as long as I can remember. My husband of 51 years remembering playing it after he came into the family. We children would crank up the old box and Mother would swoon thinking of her corting days with Dad. I want to restore it and let my Greatgrand childern have a chance to experience the past. Memories of a quiter time in history.Betty G. Verret
4717 Prien Bluff Rd.
Lake Charles, LA 70605 My stars are for memories.

Summary:
My wife purchased me a Victrola (circa 1911) and some 78 records. THIS is the audio system for all you Y2K alarmists out there. Seriously, we have the machine and the 78s up in our bedroom and the sound it makes (particularly if you clean the records with a NON-ALCOHOL record cleaner) is really wonderful. You get the impression you're living in a Marx Brothers movie. I have a good system consisting of a Classe CAP-150 Amp, an Ultech HDCD CD player, Kimber and Transparent cables, an Music Hall MMF Turntable and Thiel 2.3 speakers, but listening to the old victrola really transports you with a sound that, while not lifelike, is evocative of an era before I was born. So, if you are an audiophile and have tired of spending money on even more elaborate doodads, get yourself a Victrola and enjoy your next power outage with music.