Created in 2004, the Phonogalerie is a tribute to the enthusiasm of Jalal Aro for all that concerns the early recording of sound.

Born in 1967 in Alep, Syria, Jalal came to Paris to study as a dental
prosthesist. Like most students he did a multitude of odd jobs which led him, by chance into the fashion world for which he discovered he had an inclination. In this field he worked in the shops of Jean-Paul Gaultier and Paul Smith.

His first meaningful contact with the phonograph dates from this time. The Colbert Gallery was putting on an exhibition entitled “De fil en aiguille” on the subject of early sound recording devices and Jalal found himself walking through it every day. Inexperienced, he bought a machine from a stand, his very first phonograph. It turned out to be a copy. Stimulated rather than otherwise by this episode he set out, with his partner Charlotte, in search of interesting and this time original, models. In the course of his quest he developed a network of contacts with collectors all over the world and, at the cost of considerable perseverance, he has now assembled a vast and comprehensive personal collection.

Jalal’s enthusiasm for the subject started to dominate his life to such a point that he decided to make it his profession. At the time his collection filled a room provided by a friend near the Père Lachaise cemetery. His enthusiasm soon led to a conviction that the subject of his interest merited a wider audience and should be available to all. With this in mind he set about searching for a suitable home for the project in the old “café-concert” district of Paris, the Montmartre-Pigalle district.

This was eventually accomplished and a thousand square feet of showroom space is now dedicated to the sale, repair and hire of objects related to sound reproduction and the history of music. Visitors can discover “speaking machines” and recordings from every period, as well as books, posters, advertising material and al kinds of other documents. The Phonogalerie is a meeting place where ideas can be exchanged by specialists and enthusiasts, but it is also for newcomers to the field and for the curious of all ages.

In order to widen its range of activities, and especially to cater for the demand for collectors’ “78s” Yann Fister has worked with the Phonogalerie since 2006, bringing with him an exceptional and widely recognised competence in the field of popular discs and music.

You are cordially invited to visit the Phonogalerie and to savour this exceptional retrospective of the universe of invention and artistic genius.

Please also note that the Phonogalerie is much more than a saleroom devoted to buying and selling. It organises exhibitions, concerts, conferences – all kinds of cultural events related to the performing arts and music.

Jalal Aro

6 rue Cretet- 10 rue Lallier

75009 Paris France

Tel.: 00-33-145264580

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