Tiny Zonophone, what era?

[snallast]

Picked up an album with the "regular" small records all one-sided, but there are 4 that are even smaller (see pics) roughly the size of a CD - first I thought they might be for a childrens gramophone - but the music is for grownups. They are very short, the sound is surprisingly good - and I wonder if anyone knows anything about these records? This is Spain!

[victorIIvictor]

What I can see of the label of your discs strongly resembles the label shown on the top row, second from left, at this website:

http://www.normanfield.com/labelsz.htm

… and as you can see, the example there was recorded in early 1905.

Would you mind showing the complete labels, and letting us know if there are any numbers or markings in the runout area?

Best wishes, Mark

[snallast]

Here are better pictures of the records, I took one at an angle so you can see the Z better as well as the manually inscribed number - they certainly look a lot like the one you mention! The numbers that are written - with no colour - on the label is the same as the printed one - on the last picture maybe you can make it out: S. 3060

[Starkton]

Nice find. These discs of 1905/06 are extremely rare. Almost as rare as 5" Berliners.

[snallast]

Thanks guys for your input! The corresponding Zonophone recordplayers of 1905 must have been tiny! Great little records!

[tinovanderzwan]

i have seen a mini zonophone machine years ago in a museum about missionaries the records with this little phono where all christian hymns used in far away places to christen the natives

a story i heard later on was that miniature phono's like this where also used by door to door salesmen they would have a machine that was easy to carry that they would demonstrate if the customer was interested they could pick a machine out of a catalog wich would then be sent to them


tino