Interesting Columbia Label

[flashpanblue]

I found this interesting Italian Columbia Record in a batch of Victors. The last paten date on the label is 1906. Is this record really that old? It is also very heavy and almost ¼ inch thick!
Pete

[OrthoSean]

You have a Fonotipia disc there. These were recordings from Europe and imported to the US by Columbia. I believe the Columbia labeled examples like yours were pressed here from European masters, while regular Fonotipias were pressed there and imported here. There was an agreement with Columbia to be the sole seller of these for a period of time. They often contain some very interesting operatic material. Some are very desirable to find, especially in good condition. These often turn up very well "used". They aren't terribly uncommon, but you don't see them too often. One of my sub-collections focuses on these, when I bought a large record collection eight years ago, there were a few hundred of them, and it ignited yet another interest for me.

The 1906 patent date is just that, I believe the earliest issues began in 1905. Fonotopias were available well into the teens. The Columbia affiliation began in the early teens, I believe, but I'm not sure. There are ads in the Talking Machine World touting the new agreement, but I can't locate anything without searching.

Sean

[flashpanblue]

Hi Sean,
Thank you for the information. The VTLA record books that I recently sold in the Trader section contained this record and 55 Victor 10" and 12" one sided discs. They are all Operatic selections and are in the nicest condition I have ever seen! It is amazing that this Columbia record is now 109 years old!!
Pete

[OrthoSean]

No problem, Pete.

A few years ago, a barn fresh VTLA followed me home and is still awaiting finishing up. The record L-doors were swollen shut from the humid environment. A couple of days after letting the machine sit inside in the dry, the doors were able to be opened. Inside were a complete set of boxes containing about 100 records total, every one except two were what looked like brand new Victor Red Seals from the era. The other two? Fonotipias! I have a feeling this was a machine bought more as a status symbol since everything looked like it had never been used. The drawer had tons of neat little goodies inside also. I plan on keeping it all together since it's such a great example of a time capsule machine, I love finding them like that.

Best / Sean

[epigramophone]

Columbia acquired the rights to issue Fonotipia's operatic recordings in the USA as a means of competing with Victor's Red Seal celebrity records. According to Roland Gelatt's "The Fabulous Phonograph" Columbia first released them in March 1908 and ended the agreement with Fonotipia in 1910.

Gelatt speculates that the vivid and forward Fonotipia sound did not appeal to Americans accustomed to the smoother Victor sound, and that the machines of the time were not capable of reproducing Fonotipias to their full potential.

[alang]

Forum member Starkton just wrote an article about the original Fonotopia records on the German forum. Maybe Google translate will allow you to read it? Or contact Starkton for more information.

Andreas

[OrthoSean]

Columbia acquired the rights to issue Fonotipia's operatic recordings in the USA as a means of competing with Victor's Red Seal celebrity records. According to Roland Gelatt's "The Fabulous Phonograph" Columbia first released them in March 1908 and ended the agreement with Fonotipia in 1910.

That seems partly accurate, 1908 as a start makes sense, but I think this went beyond 1910. I swear I've read later dates and after a quick look, I can't find anything. I ran downstairs quickly and pulled 20 Coloumbia Fonos off the shelf and found all of these to be 1909 or earlier recordings, which isn't by any means definitive. If I wasn't in the middle of transferring a bunch of LPs to CD tonight, I'd keep looking. I'll dig around some more later or tomorrow and see if I can find something more helpful.

Sean

[edisonrestorer64]

I have a 10 in on this label same thing its Italian.

[Marco Gilardetti]

Forum member Starkton just wrote an article about the original Fonotopia records on the German forum. Maybe Google translate will allow you to read it? Or contact Starkton for more information.

Andreas

It's "funny" how articles about Fonotipia label are written in all languages of the world except Italian.

Fonotipia are nice records indeed. Perhaps forgetten for some decades but well regarded recently. They had the peculiarity, much advertised on newspaper ads at their times, of having the master signed by the singer of the recorded track, as a proof of authenticity. It's easily seen on the picture of the detail of the label. Bonci's signature is engraved below the paper label (left-bottom of the red writings). In the same area, but in the center, Bonci's signature is also repeated with an ink timbre.

Fonotipia's paper sleeves were also of high quality, with the center hole protected by a sheet of semi-transparent tracing paper: the titles could be easily read through but the label was well protected from wear and dust.

[edisonphonoworks]

It is something that Columbia was able to get a higher surface quality than their own records. I have one of these, and the sound quality is excellent for a lateral acoustic recording, very, clear and up front.