The New Historical Phono-Related Newspaper Articles and Advertisements Thread

[poodling around]

Here are some adverts from the Sears, Roebuck & Co Talking Machine Department.
Interesting to see a Gem Graphophone. Which came first, this or the Edison Gem?

Which came first the Edison Gem or the lap-top computer ?

[Inigo]

Seems the table of any of us, the graphophone, cylinders, etc, and the laptop for addressing the forum...

[AmberolaAndy]

BIG ad for Berliner’s Gramophone: December 1, 1898

[Inigo]

This is Berliner's, or associated Frank Seaman's sales agency? It's based in new York, and promotes equally the improved Gramophone and the zonophone...!!! This is prior to the fight of Seaman against Berliner which ended in the infamous 1901 injunction that prevented Berliner from commercialising his invention and made him sail for Canada....?

[phonogfp]

This is Berliner's, or associated Frank Seaman's sales agency? It's based in new York, and promotes equally the improved Gramophone and the zonophone...!!! This is prior to the fight of Seaman against Berliner which ended in the infamous 1901 injunction that prevented Berliner from commercialising his invention and made him sail for Canada....?

There was no Zonophone as we know it in 1897, 1898, nor 1899. In late 1897 and early 1898, Frank Seaman was experimenting with different marketing terms for the Gramophone (which was easily confused with "Graphophone"). Both "Zonophone" and "Vocophone" were used briefly in advertisements, before the Berliner group forbade the practice.

George P.

[Starkton]

Immediately after the improved gramophone was introduced at the Leipzig spring fair in March 1898, a Hamburg importer of musical instruments had the trademark "Zonophon" protected for talking machines. Apparently, it was at least intended by Seaman to use that trade name in Germany from early on.

It should not be forgotten that the gramophone factory Kämmer, Reinhardt & Co. had been continuously offering disc talking machines under the trade name "Grammophon" (Gramophone) throughout Europe since September 1890. Seaman probably wanted to avoid confusion with the long-established product of the German factory.

[phonogfp]

Seaman probably wanted to avoid confusion with the long-established product of the German factory.

I'm not dismissing this possibility, but since Kämmer, Reinhardt & Co. products were marketed primarily in Europe and Great Britain, and Seaman's contract was limited to the U.S. (where the earlier Gramophon products were virtually unknown), this would not seem to have been a significant concern.

George P.

[Inigo]

Then, what does this mean in a National Gr. Co. advert in New York in December 1898?

Screenshot_2022-11-18-19-59-19-13_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg

[phonogfp]

Then, what does this mean in a National Gr. Co. advert in New York in December 1898?
Screenshot_2022-11-18-19-59-19-13_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg

I presume that the "December 1898" date forms the crux of your question. As I wrote earlier, "Zonophone" was an experimental marketing term used by Seaman rather early on. In February 1898, Seaman had formed the Universal Talking Machine Company in preparation to supply a less-expensive Gramophone to be marketed under the Berliner auspices. By December 1898, Seaman was probably suspecting that the Berliner group was not going to honor the stipulation in his contract that allowed him to supply less-expensive machines of equal or greater quality. Despite this, throughout 1899 Seaman continued to submit prototypes to Berliner, followed by their rejection. Whether he was marketing Berliner's machine or a different design, it appears that Seaman had settled on the term "Zonophone" as being an effective name. As we all know, Seaman eventually (1900) marketed an entirely new machine which was indeed named the Zonophone.

If you own The Talking Machine Compendium or Discovering Antique Phonographs, this is explained there in detail. I have also written about it - in even more detail - in the APS magazine.

George P.

[Inigo]

Thanks!