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Phonotype Record

Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 9:07 pm
by Wolfe
What's the history of the Phonotype 78's ?

I have just one and it's clearly not shellac, it's some sort of pliable material that resembles vinyl. There's not much about them on the 'net or this forum it seems.

Re: Phonotype Record

Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 1:41 am
by Lucius1958
Photo?

Bill

Re: Phonotype Record

Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 5:31 am
by estott
Wolfe wrote:What's the history of the Phonotype 78's ?

I have just one and it's clearly not shellac, it's some sort of pliable material that resembles vinyl. There's not much about them on the 'net or this forum it seems.

What is the record? In the 1970's some Phonotype masters were pressed in vinyl, with facsimile labels-Fernando De Lucia, I believe.

Anyhow, here is a little info- http://www.tedstaunton.com/labels/1910_ ... ord_1.html

It was a small family owned company that seems to still exist: http://www.phonotype.it/

Re: Phonotype Record

Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 5:37 am
by Wolfe
Lucius1958 wrote:Photo?
Don't currently have the ability to take a photo. No 'smartphone' or operating scanner here.

Maybe what I have is one of the 1970's pressings then. It's Fernando De Lucia. Label looks much like that in the Ted Staunton link.

Re: Phonotype Record

Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 6:39 am
by Menophanes
Records pressed on a vinyl material with Phonotype labels are relatively recent (1973 onwards) pressings in the 'Historic Masters' series from the original matrices. They can be distinguished from the (very rare) originals, not only by the material but because the title and artist details on the labels are printed in the Times New Roman typeface (familiar to us all from the Internet) which did not exist until 1932. Besides the Phonotypes, a few items were also issued with facsimiles of Gramophone & Typewriter labels.

Why the people behind this praiseworthy series chose to copy the original labels without identifying themselves is a complete mystery to me. Obviously there was not the least intention to deceive, but confusion was bound to arise in course of time as more and more of the re-pressings found their way onto the collectors' market. Already in 1993, Michael Henstock's major biography of Fernando De Lucia included on the dust-wrapper an illustration of a Historic Masters label presented as if it were an original!

Oliver Mundy.

Re: Phonotype Record

Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 7:54 am
by Wolfe
Thanks.

It occured to me to pull out the Seventy Years Of Issues book by Tom Peel and John Stratton. The book details the various re-pressings of old historical vocal records.

Inside, there's a couple of headings, one for Symposium (Phonotype) and Rubini Records (Phonotype.) All Fernando De Lucia. Quite a lot of them, too.

Re: Phonotype Record

Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 1:25 pm
by gramophone-georg
Wolfe wrote:
Lucius1958 wrote:Photo?
Don't currently have the ability to take a photo. No 'smartphone' or operating scanner here.

Maybe what I have is one of the 1970's pressings then. It's Fernando De Lucia. Label looks much like that in the Ted Staunton link.
I'll bet it is. eBay seller carsten_sf had a bunch of these later vinyl pressings on auction at eBay a week or so ago.

Re: Phonotype Record

Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 1:36 pm
by Wolfe
^ I know who that seller is. He has some fun auctions.

Re: Phonotype Record

Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 8:10 pm
by gramophone-georg
Wolfe wrote:^ I know who that seller is. He has some fun auctions.
Agreed. I'm waiting for my latest big box with some anticipation. :D