HMV Factory in Dum Dum

[Garret]

Has anyone actually ever visited the HMV factory in Dum Dum in the last ten to fifteen years and/or looked at the archives there?

Best,

Garret

[mrrgstuff]

This came up on YouTube the other day. Unfortunately I have no other info and it's not my video:

https://youtu.be/Z1zwhsBZgOI

[emgcr]

A short history....................

https://grammophon-platten.de/page.php?577

[CarlosV]

Interesting link to the history and a surprising video showing that the name HMV is still on the front and there is still some activity in the factory. Unfortunately there is no account of what is produced there - certainly not 78 rpms. As to the original question concerning its archives, the history in Graham's link indicates that factory changed ownership in the late 40s, so who knows what happened to the original archives? Has EMI carried it back to the UK? Did the new owner keep it?

[Steve]

As far as I know the EMI archives do not have anything relating to foreign departments, only the Hayes HQ.

I'm not sure what state the archives are in currently but haven't they moved in the past 15 years?

[Oedipus]

As I understand it, the EMI Archive is currently moving, I don't know where to. That is sad, because for the last 25 years or so it has been housed in purpose-built premises which originally formed an annexe to the new Central Research Laboratory at Hayes. The CRL was sold off by EMI in its struggling later years, and the new owners, finding they could attract no tenants, eventually demolished it. The Archive building, now free standing, on the edge of the derelict site, became the last remaining building of EMI at Hayes and continued in use after the Universal take-over.

There are large numbers of Indian record catalogues and some machine catalogues in the Archive, but I am not aware of any other Indian archive material.

[Steve]

As I understand it, the EMI Archive is currently moving, I don't know where to. That is sad, because for the last 25 years or so it has been housed in purpose-built premises which originally formed an annexe to the new Central Research Laboratory at Hayes. The CRL was sold off by EMI in its struggling later years, and the new owners, finding they could attract no tenants, eventually demolished it. The Archive building, now free standing, on the edge of the derelict site, became the last remaining building of EMI at Hayes and continued in use after the Universal take-over.

There are large numbers of Indian record catalogues and some machine catalogues in the Archive, but I am not aware of any other Indian archive material.

Thanks for confirming my worst suspicions. It is very sad indeed. The question now is given that EMI technically no longer exists, who is responsible for the Archive and will it remain in time or be sold off?

[Inigo]

And the standing copies of every 78rpm issued since 1908... the ledgers and all that? Let's hope it will end in some other institute as BL or the sound archives.

[Garret]

As a gentle reminder, my question: Has anyone actually ever visited the HMV factory in Dum Dum in the last ten to fifteen years and/or looked at the archives there?

It appears that a Mr. Michael Kinnear in Australia had made some visits, which resulted in the short history published here: https://bajakhana.com.au/

However, I then managed to reach a collector in India, and he said the photos taken in Dum Dum with Mr. Kinnear date to the early 1990s, and the complex has changed hands multiple times since. I then talked with another American who visited in 2012 during a year-long Fulbright fellowship in India, and he promises to share pictures. I'm tempted to visit myself, but would need to get approval from this company Saregama.

I'll keep you all posted.

[Oedipus]

EMI no longer exists as a company, but the EMI Archive Trust (a Registered Charity) does, and owns, I believe, everything up to 1945 in the Archive. Joanna Hughes, the Archivist, tells me that universal are very supportive of the Archive. Although I don't know where the new site is, it is described a purpose built (as, indeed, was the Hayes site).