Western Electric model 2A arm with model 4A reproducer: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A note found with the object reads: "Western Electric 2A arm with 4A reproducer. (Oil dampened phonographic pick up.) Used in the 1940s and early '50s before long playing (33 1/3 RPM) records. This pickup was used in broadcast studios for transcriptions which were 16" discs [played at] at 44 RPM. And also for motion picture sound on disks before sound on film. A special fiber needle [was] used. This unit was used in a local (Washington, DC) radio broadcasting station [that used] Western Electric sound equipment."

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: ca 1945
• maker: Western Electric
• Object Name: phonograph component
• Other Terms: phonograph component; Audio Devices
• Measurements: overall: 4 1/2 in x 2 3/4 in x 11 1/2 in; 11.43 cm x 6.985 cm x 29.21 cm
• ID Number: EM.335806
• catalog number: 335806
• accession number: 1977.0896
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.