August 1914.

[epigramophone]

This recruiting station was set up in Trafalgar Square, London. As often happened, a gramophone playing patriotic songs was employed to encourage the young men to enlist.

Once a week our village hosts a coffee morning in the Church Hall, and this week it will be a special event to commemorate the start of the First World War, with the proceeds going to the Help For Heroes charity.

The organisers have asked people to bring any WW1 memorabilia they have, and are probably expecting a few photographs. I will be bringing a c1914 gramophone and some of the aforementioned patriotic songs to play on it.

[Phonofreak]

That's a great picture. I really like the British version of the Columbia Disk Graphophone.
Hsrvey Kravitz

[Valecnik]

Some of you may find this related thread of interest. I was in Vienna last weekend and had a look at the in which Archduke Franz Ferdinand was riding when he was assassinated. The clothes he was wearing and the chaise on which he died are also on display. That's of course the event that started it all.

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 1&start=20

[epigramophone]

The coffee morning was a great success and a worthwhile sum was raised for the Help for Heroes charity. They even had a representative in attendance.

Here is my contribution to the collection of memorabilia :

[Edisone]

Safe bet they weren't playing "I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier" or "Stay Down Where You Belong"! (not that those were written, yet) ....

What a different world this might be, if only the Archduke hadn't been murdered. The World wouldn't be Safe For Democracy, though.

[epigramophone]

Safe bet they weren't playing "I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier" or "Stay Down Where You Belong"! (not that those were written, yet) ....

What a different world this might be, if only the Archduke hadn't been murdered. The World wouldn't be Safe For Democracy, though.

When I arrived at the Church Hall with the machine, one of the lady helpers asked me where I would like to plug it in. Having acquainted her with the gramophonic facts of life I played the following records :

Your King and Country need you.
Tipperary.
Till the boys come home.
Roses of Picardy.
The Red White and Blue.

Not all were current in 1914, but they wanted anything WW1 and that is what they got.

Yes the Archduke's assassination was the spark which lit the powder keg. Then as now, the Balkans were a hotbed of unrest and this was a tragedy waiting to happen.