VIDEO. In Calvados, Jean collects and restores old record players

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The sound of the Music is loud, even strident. Yet it is with wide eyes that Jean Radiguet presents its collection of gramophones in Saint-Denis-de-Méré (Calvados).
Pieces full of stories lying around in his attic, “to the great displeasure of my wife”, laughs the octogenarian, passionate above all about the Restoration. He exhibits these collection pieces in the town hall room until December 13, 2024. Back in the 1920s.

Models from 1920

The main thing for him is not the clarity of the sound that emanates from the wax discs. But rather to present in working condition models dated 1920.

His passion for catering has been his profession for almost 40 years. “I was troubleshooting radios and TVs in the Gitem store in Condé. » His love for old objects and DIY started young.

“At 22, just before going into the army, I made my own record player,” he recalls. Music is, however, far from being a priesthood for Jean Radiguet.

I'm not a music fan, but exposing my collection to the public allows me to not keep it to myself.

Recovered in poor condition

A thirty gramophones are thus presented in the hall of the town hall of Saint-Denis-de-Méré. If they are all brilliant, Jean Radiguet admits that some required a lot of work time.

“This one was attacked by worms», he explains, pointing to a wooden model recovered in a pitiful state. After a bit of sanding and a coat of varnish, the record players regain their former glory.

“We listened to music under the sheets”

A joy for the mayor, Manuel Machado which surveys the Meroise population every year.

We are making the room available to volunteers to organize an exhibition in December.

Jean Radiguet has two exhibitions since he already presented his collection in 2019. “It was a great first which offered to discover radio sets,” recalls the elected official, accompanied by his municipal team.

Jean Radiguet takes pleasure in telling the story of these objects usually made in the form of a suitcase to be carried everywhere.

“We were listening to music under the sheetswith these machines,” he assures, tensioning the spring using a crank. Something to prove that more than 50 years agolistening to music wherever we wanted was already possible.

Every day until December 13 in the sociocultural room from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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