Photo Ref: DB400 Courtesy of Rita Diefenhardt-Schmitt
Photo Ref: DB401 Courtesy of Rita Diefenhardt-Schmitt
Photo Ref: DB403 Courtesy of Rita Diefenhardt-Schmitt
Photo Ref: DB402 Courtesy of Rita Diefenhardt-Schmitt
The Tonomat Connection The Inside Story of Tonomat By Rita Diefenhardt-Schmitt
I am the daughter of Alfred Josef Diefenhardt (1922 to1985). My Father, together with Walther Triefenbach and Norbert Acker were the founders of German Jukebox Manufacture "Tonomat" located in D-Neu-Isenburg, near Frankfort/Main. When this firm was established I was a little girl, but up to now I still remember my father's role and his work for Tonomat as he frequently took me with him to work. I well remember the "Ditchburn Organization" who ordered 1000 "Telematic" Jukeboxes from Tonomat in 1958, one of the biggest orders Tonomat ever received. The connections between the two firms went very well and I still remember some visits from Norman Ditchburn to Tonomat. When he came over, he was also our private guest along with his wife and children.
Alfred Josef Diefenhardt
The Tonomat T100
Outside the Tonomat factory entrance, Walter Triefenbach, Geoffrey Norman Ditchburn, and Norbert Acker
The Tonomat factory during the winter of 1957
To be Continued
By Rita Diefenhardt-Schmitt
To find out more about Tonomat you can click on the image on the right to read the article published by Die Musikbox
In my Tonomat collection concerning Blackpool and its Ballrooms in the 50s. The first two pictures show Blackpool coast as it looked like in the 50s.
The next photo shows inside in a ballroom, but its location in Blackpool I do not know. it shows ladies and gents dancing in the ballroom, presumably members of both firms Ditchburn and Tonomat I’m sure that the photos above were taken on the same day, On the far right of the photo below you can see Geoffrey Norman Ditchburn, and my father is also on this photo but you can only see the lower part of his body on the left side of this picture. And of course you see a Telematic T200 there too.
The Photo below shows three gala-dressed ladies who are the wives of the three Tonomat founders. From left to right: Klara Triefenbach, wife of Walther Triefenbach. in the middle, Elli Acker, wife of Norbert Acker and far right my mother, Irmgard (Diefenhardt).