Here is a little of what has been written about the history of using the phonograph in service:

*** jv chap. 7 pp. 84-85 Advertise the King and the Kingdom! (1919-1941) ***

On Saturday, September 18, following his morning discourse, Brother Rutherford released the tan-colored book Enemies. It denounced false religion as “a great enemy, always working injury to mankind.” False religionists were identified as “agents of the Devil, whether they are aware of that fact or not.” When presenting the book to the audience, Brother Rutherford said: “You will notice that its cover is tan, and we will tan the old lady’s hide with it.” To this the audience gave loud and enthusiastic approval.

For some years the phonograph had played a part in ‘tanning the old lady.’ But in connection with the phonograph work, there was a surprise at the 1937 convention. “At this assembly the work using the portable phonograph on the doorstep was introduced,” recalls Elwood Lunstrum, who was just 12 years old at the time. “Formerly we had been carrying the phonograph with us in the service, but we had only played it when invited inside. . . . An organization of ‘Special Pioneers’ was outlined at the Columbus convention to spearhead the use of the doorstep setup with the phonograph and the follow-up work with interested persons (first then called ‘back-calls’) and Bible studies with an arrangement called ‘model study.’”

*** w55 7/1 pp. 394-395 Part 13: Champions of Freedom of Speech and of Worship ***

Results of the non-radio sound service were so promising that, in 1934, the Society began to produce another service instrument, a portable phonograph, and to manufacture a series of 4 1/2-minute 78-rpm discs containing effective Bible lectures. At first this portable phonograph was used largely in the back-call service, but finally it came to be very widely used in the initial-call house-to-house service, being played on the doorsteps of the homes. Here indeed was a new preaching medium. It figured in a big way at the 1937 Columbus (Ohio) convention attended by 25,000 on Sunday, September 18, to hear Judge Rutherford deliver his important lecture “Safety,” which at the same time was broadcast by 135 radio stations. At this convention the historic decision was announced, that the Society was voluntarily withdrawing from all commercial radio broadcasting contracts after October 31, 1937. Instead, all of Jehovah’s witnesses would concentrate their time and funds on the more effective house-to-house work, using the portable phonograph with a wide range of more than ninety Bible lectures that would enable millions to hear and learn Bible truth. The phonograph work took on new force, as is demonstrated by the report for 1938 showing that there were 430,000 discs with lectures in sixteen languages in use on 19,600 sound machines. In 1937 there were reported 10,368,569 listeners, and for 1938, 13,070,426. Truly a literal mighty shout was being raised among all earth’s inhabitants!

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To operate, you place the playing head into its stand and then you insert the handle into the side. Put the brake on the rotating platform and wind the handle. Release the brake and gently set the playing head on the record in the recorded area. You can adjust the speed of the play by moving a speed control lever to the left or right. You get an amazing amount of sound for such a simple device. These were hand made and individually numbered.