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VV 9-1 / VE 9-1 / Florenza / Florenza X

RARITY: ¤¤¤   VALUE:  ¤¤ 

The Florenza was one of several early "home entertainment centers" pairing a Victor Orthophonic (acoustic) phonograph with an RCA Radiola 25. It was a larger and better-performing set than the earlier Alhambra series, with a significantly improved radio, and a much larger "folded" (re-entrant) exponential horn. As with the Alhambra, the radio was powered by a group of batteries that were mounted inside the cabinet. A mechanical valve "switch" would change the routing of the horn input from the radio to the phonograph. This instrument could be ordered with either a spring powered phonograph (Florenza) or with an electric motor option (Florenza X).  The Florenza was introduced in early 1926, and production was discontinued within a few months when more advanced (and lower cost) radio/phono systems became available on the market.  It was immediately superceded by the VV 9-15, which used the same cabinet with an improved radio.
The cabinet used a figured walnut veneer with two shades of stain. It sold new for $475.00, which equates to approximately $7,000.00 in today's money. The electric motor was a $35.00 option.
The Florenza was identified in some of Victor catalogs as the VV 9-1, but this model designation has not been found on any surviving machines to date. Approximately 4,000 Florenza consoles were produced, but very few electric-powered versions (Florenza X) were made.  Since radio and electronic technology was developing so rapidly in the mid-1920's, the Florenza became obsolete very quickly, and it is likely that many were sold at discount toward the end of 1926. The high cost of restoration of these early electronic sets limits the interest of many collectors today.

The current survival database shows the earliest existent Florenza to be s/n 514 and the latest to be s/n 3259

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