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Early Pre-1900 Recordings

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 11:58 am
by Victrolacollector
As we move further into the 21st Century we find the early Pre-1900 recordings seem so distant in time and becoming scarce. How many of the forum members own early pre-1900 recordings? What are your favorite titles?

I only have the Vulcan Reproduction Cylinder recordings in brown color.

Trip to Chinatown
Sleigh Ride Party
I Tiddy I Ti
Why Should I keep from Whistling?

My favorite is Sleigh Ride Party

Re: Early Pre-1900 Recordings

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 1:28 pm
by epigramophone
I only have one, and this is it.

All I know is that "Alberto del Campo" was the Italian baritone Alberto de Bassini who was born in 1847. He emigrated to the USA in the 1890's and appeared mainly in the French operatic repertoire. In later life he became a singing teacher in New York. If anyone knows more about him I would be interested to learn about it.

Re: Early Pre-1900 Recordings

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 1:39 pm
by Wolfe
In original form, 0. I think my oldest record is from 1902.

I do have a Symposium CD compilation of early Berliner records, so, in a way, that is ownership. :?

I intend to buy a 19th century Berliner disc someday, for the fun of it.

Re: Early Pre-1900 Recordings

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:05 pm
by jmad7474
My oldest record is a Berliner from 1896 with the comic singer John Terrell singing "She is the Daughter of Officer Porter". While I do like some of the really early recordings (like pre-1900), playing them can be a real hassle (lots of surface noise, inconsistent recording speeds, physical damage like cracks and chips, etc.) and much of the time they are too expensive to justify buying for entertainment.

It is mind-blowing to think though, that when that record was released, Terrell's voice potentially amused an entire population of about 1.5 billion people on this planet, of whom NONE are still around!

Re: Early Pre-1900 Recordings

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:02 pm
by AmberolaAndy
Almost 11 years of collecting and The oldest records I’ve ever found in the wild are from 1901. So close and yet so far.... :(

Re: Early Pre-1900 Recordings

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:45 pm
by Victrolacollector
jmad7474 wrote:My oldest record is a Berliner from 1896 with the comic singer John Terrell singing "She is the Daughter of Officer Porter". While I do like some of the really early recordings (like pre-1900), playing them can be a real hassle (lots of surface noise, inconsistent recording speeds, physical damage like cracks and chips, etc.) and much of the time they are too expensive to justify buying for entertainment.

It is mind-blowing to think though, that when that record was released, Terrell's voice potentially amused an entire population of about 1.5 billion people on this planet, of whom NONE are still around!
Same with Enrico Caruso, John McCormack, Sophie Tucker and Uncle Josh and many others that even recorded in the 20th Century. Just makes one think how short life is.

Re: Early Pre-1900 Recordings

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:48 pm
by bfinan11
I've also never seen anything before 1901 in the wild - there probably just weren't that many made (combined with people not being as likely to hold onto the old formats of 7" discs and brown wax cylinders). All I've got is two Berliners that I bought from another member of this forum, "Rocked In The Cradle Of The Deep" from 1896 and "Zizzy Ze Zum Zum" from 1898-99.

Re: Early Pre-1900 Recordings

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:53 pm
by Victrolacollector
bfinan11 wrote:I've also never seen anything before 1901 in the wild - there probably just weren't that many made (combined with people not being as likely to hold onto the old formats of 7" discs and brown wax cylinders). All I've got is two Berliners that I bought from another member of this forum, "Rocked In The Cradle Of The Deep" from 1896 and "Zizzy Ze Zum Zum" from 1898-99.
I would think that prior to 1900 there were few records pressed. I would think very few people bought many and the ones that did probably only had a handful which they played hundreds of times each, causing the wear we see today. Then combine the fact that after 120 plus years, many have been thrown away, destroyed by fire and natural disasters.

Re: Early Pre-1900 Recordings

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:57 pm
by Wolfe
Victrolacollector wrote:
jmad7474 wrote:My oldest record is a Berliner from 1896 with the comic singer John Terrell singing "She is the Daughter of Officer Porter". While I do like some of the really early recordings (like pre-1900), playing them can be a real hassle (lots of surface noise, inconsistent recording speeds, physical damage like cracks and chips, etc.) and much of the time they are too expensive to justify buying for entertainment.

It is mind-blowing to think though, that when that record was released, Terrell's voice potentially amused an entire population of about 1.5 billion people on this planet, of whom NONE are still around!
Same with Enrico Caruso, John McCormack, Sophie Tucker and Uncle Josh and many others that even recorded in the 20th Century. Just makes one think how short life is.
McCormack lived until 1945. There are quite a few still around who's living memory goes back that far.

Heck, even Caruso. Mr. Richard Overton, born in 1906, the oldest man in the U.S.A. was 15 when Caruso died. There are a few others about as old still living.

But 19th century entertainers ? Pretty safe bet there's no one living who shared the same air on earth. Unless it's some monk living on a mountaintop who says they are 146.

Re: Early Pre-1900 Recordings

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:58 pm
by rgordon939
If your talking about brown was cylinders I have many pre 1900. In the past several years I probably have purchased a few hundred. They are scarce but not that scarce. Usually I find them in varying size lots.

Rich Gordon