Mikiphone S.A.
5 Rue du Grand-Chêne, Lausanne (1926)

The brothers Étienne and Nicolas Vadaz (Swiss residents of Hungarian origin) developed the Mikiphone in around 1923. It is the world's smallest portable phonograph.

Mikiphones were, between ca. 1925 and 1927, produced by Paillard AG, who delivered around 180000 units. [3]

Serial numbers on Mikiphones start with the last two digits of the manufacturing year. For devices with serial numbers 00- the production date is unclear.

The name Mikiphone is first mentioned in an April 1923 newspaper article as a new invention by Stephan V. Vadasz (István Vadász, Étienne in French). [1]

The following patents are currently known:

• 1 Nov. [4] 1924, Geneva, Switzerland, E. and N. Vadaz [3]
• 9 June 1926, USA no. 236,903, published 14 December 14, 1926
• 18 May 1927 (priority date), Italy
• 30 June 1927, Canada no. 41386

The model was available in February 1926 in the shop of the French company Innovation in Paris [2].

Paillard produced the Miniphone until ca. 1927. [3]

The Mikiphone was sold in many countries, by the following companies:

• Algier: P. Colin, 3 + 12 Rue Dumont-Durville, Alger (sole agent)
• France: Innovation, 104 Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Paris (and others)
• UK: Keith Prowse & Co. Ltd, 159 New Bond St., London W1 (sole agent)
• USA: Mikiphone S.A.Inc., 44 Whitehall Street, New York (1926)

[1] The Chicago Tribune and the Daily News New York, 16 April 1923
[2] L'Avenir, 25 Feb. 1926
[3] Historadio, magazine du blog f4czv-richard.blogspot.com, Feb. 2017
[4] Collection graphonogram.ch