Dummy records used in window displays.

[epigramophone]

Real records were prone to warping in the heat of a window display, so some record manufacturers issued imitation records to dealers made of cheap materials such as cardboard. They were pressed from blank matrixes and had normal labels affixed to them. The earliest reference I can find to these products is from the German branch of The Gramophone Company in 1908.

This late 1920's example by Columbia came my way quite recently and must have fooled someone in the past, as the scratches suggest that they attempted to play it!

Clapham and Dwyer were music hall comedians, and the picture shows them (Clapham on the left and Dwyer on the right) outside a theatre where they were performing in about 1936. Clapham's car is a Talbot Ten Sports Tourer and Dwyer's is an earlier Talbot, possibly a 75 of about 1934.

[Phonoboy]

Real records were prone to warping in the heat of a window display, so some record manufacturers issued imitation records to dealers made of cheap materials such as cardboard. They were pressed from blank matrixes and had normal labels affixed to them. The earliest reference I can find to these products is from the German branch of The Gramophone Company in 1908.

This late 1920's example by Columbia came my way quite recently and must have fooled someone in the past, as the scratches suggest that they attempted to play it!

Clapham and Dwyer were music hall comedians, and the picture shows them (Clapham on the left and Dwyer on the right) outside a theatre where they were performing in about 1936. Clapham's car is a Talbot Ten Sports Tourer and Dwyer's is an earlier Talbot, possibly a 75 of about 1934.

Looks real to me.

[emerson]

Yes, They do look real---fooled me. I have a 9" Emerson metal dummy record---- that also makes you do a double take. Thanks for posting it. I wonder, since Emerson worked for Columbia and left on good terms, how much was shared or copied when he left?

[Phototone]

I have seen record display stands that are a circular disc on a small tripod stand that have a ring that fits around the outside edge of the record to keep it flat, thus no need for dummy records.