When sorting through my records, I was intrigued by this sleeve featuring a grumpy looking bust of Beethoven, another of an unidentifiable composer (Chopin?) and the mention of “Cecilia” gramophones. Does anyone know anything about those machines? Were they entirely put together from bought-in parts and cabinets, as with so many other “makers”? It looks like Reeves’ may have at least manufactured the cabinets themselves.
I also wonder what is meant by “effects” in the line, “Musical & Jazz Instruments and Effects”. I’m assuming they meant mutes and such paraphernalia but I once saw a 1930s Jazz drum kit that could “lay” eggs by pushing a pedal and Reeves’ background in mechanical stuff (bicycles) might have extended to such gizmos?
I've never heard of a 'Cecilia' gramophone. I agree the gramophones were probably locally made cabinets with bought in parts. The sleeve may be suggesting that there were 'Cecilia' records but I think there should be a full stop after the word 'gramophones'. If there were 'Cecilia' records these were likely unsold and surplus stock bought from the smaller record makers with the Cecilia label stuck over the original.
Yes 'Effects' as in paraphernalia and accessories. I never heard of a drum kit that could lay eggs. Did it have a hen in it?
There must have been something "magical" about the name Cecilia for phonographs... The ones mentioned in this thread were obviously made in the U.K., but in the US there were at least two: The Cecilaphone – Bush & Lane Piano Company, Holland, Michigan (1918) and Cecilian – models sold by Montgomery Ward & Company; “client brand” of the Columbia Phonograph Company. Who knows where the popularity of this name originated...?
"The phonograph is not of any commercial value." Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.
"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things." My Wife
This is probably explained because St. Cecelia is the patroness of music in the Catholic church: she became considered the patroness of music in a fairly roundabout way. She took a vow of virginity for private devotional reasons and was married off to a pagan and while the people sang at the wedding she "sang in her heart to the Lord" according to the hymn composed for her feast day and according to the very possibly "embellished" legends that the hymn was built from.
Apparently even though she was dead set on the vow of virginity she got along quite well with her pagan husband, converting him to Christianity, which actually led to the undoing of both of them; he was martyred first and she went shortly after.
As far as the connection with the phonograph industry, music festivals have been held with her name in the title since the 1570s; the classic revival of the renaissance was a time of rediscovery of all things Ancient Rome and also the time in which classical music was in full swing, so that is how she gets mentioned in music so frequently.
In the early 1900s the fairly large Catholic population would have been familiar with her name being mentioned once in every Mass in a commemorative prayer referencing many early martyrs (the Roman Canon--canon because it was not changed, ever) and the Protestant and nonreligious populations would have been familiar with her through popular fiction, music, and poetry.
Like most of history it's a strange and rambling story but it does make some sense.
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