This original tinfoil phonograph was made by U.M. Fondain in 1879 or 1880. Fondain was a pioneer in the production of phonographs in France, supplying machines to scientific equipment dealers like Arsène Boivin and Eugène Ducretet. Despite the high quality of his machines his business was unsuccessful -- the company went bankrupt in April 1881. Fondain's phonograph venture was taken over by Eugene Ducretet, who went on to produce similar phonoraphs under his own name. The cast iron base is painted a bronze color, and the phonograph features a 'throwout' lever on the right side allowing the feedscrew to be disengaged so the mandrel can be rapidly returned to the beginning of the recording. Measuring 9-3/4" by 7", this was produced as a novelty rather than a phonograph for large public exhibitions. (Though relatively small in size, it is still a very heavy phonograph).

This original 1880 catalog from dealer Arsène Boivin features Fondain's basic tinfoil phonograph at 120F ($24). That was well over twice as expensive as Edison's small Parlor Model. Boivin also sold weight-driven and spring-driven tinfoils made by Fondain, priced as high as 500F ($100).