La Petit Journal 1913

[Discman]

[MordEth]

Dave,

Great image! Thanks for sharing it with us!

And actually, since Rocky had stated earlier that he would not be back until late tonight, let me try to offer translation of the French text:

Le Petit Journal

(The Small Journal—a newspaper title, I am assuming.)

Supplement Illustre

(Illustrated Supplement)

24ème Année — Numéro 1.175

(24th Year — Number 1,175)

Dimanche 25 Mai 1913

(Sunday 25 May 1913)

Les Peaux Rouges et le Phonographe.
(The red skin and the phonograph.)

The rest of it appears to be information about their administration address and the cost of subscriptions.

Hope this helps anyone who is interested in what it says.

— MordEth

[Lenoirstreetguy]

He wasn't the only one either. Here is Geoffrey O'Hara ..the one who made recordings as a singer and composer.... recording Navajo songs for the US government. O'Hara was a Canadian from Chatham,Ontario, but he took out American citizenship in 1919 and ended up a teacher and ethnomusicologist. I think O'Hara's biggest song hit was K-K-K-Katy. In this photo O'Hara is the one not operating the recording machine. The equipment came from Edison, and I think I recall a small item about this in the Edison Phonograph Monthly. I'll have to look. Interesting that they're using battery driven machine, eh? Note the Edison octagonal professional recording horn.
Jim

[Discman]

Now that I think about it, this story was about O"Hara, not La Fleshe. Here's the text contained inside:
THE REDSKINS AND THE PHONOGRAPH

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Everyone knows how quickly the last races of the primitive inhabitants of North America are disappearing. Within a century, perhaps, there will be no more redskins in the United States.

This disappearance is unavoidable. This is why, before it becomes accomplished fact, the American government is taking the effort to collect all the materials, which will permit future scholars to study these people.

Thus, the Secretary of the Interior in Washington chose Mr. Geoffrey O’Hara to collect the songs and music of the indigenous tribes of the United States. These songs are, it appears, highly original.

Therefore Mr. O’Hara has arranged to record into a “talking machine” the principal songs of the tribes, which still exist. He began with the tribe of the Blackfeet who are encamped in the Glacial National Park, in the state of Montana.

Three of the principal chiefs: “Medicine Bull,” “Sleeps Long Time,” and “Big Top,” were brought to New York where they were invited by Mr. O’Hara to sing into a precision phonograph.

”The Indians,” we read in Musical America, ”could only with difficulty understand how, in singing into a sort of funnel, one could possibly harvest the sound of their voices. A few minutes after they had recorded their first song the machine was started up. The magic of the operation left them stupefied. They declared that it was the most extraordinary marvel of any they had seen in the Empire City.”

[MordEth]

Dave,

Thanks for sharing the article text, as well. Certainly, I was interested to read it, and I’m sure that other members and guests will be as well.

It was much appreciated!

— MordEth