Early HMV recordings at Calcutta, India

[epigramophone]

The singer on my Victoriaphone record pictured earlier is Miss Bina Bose. Any connection with Professor Bose?

[dd_calcutta]

The singer on my Victoriaphone record pictured earlier is Miss Bina Bose. Any connection with Professor Bose?

No, She is a singer of devotional songs in Marwari (Rajasthan) language.

Regards.

[Starkton]

The first ever Indian voice was recorded in London in 1899. These were 7" diameter records with recording on one side only. These 44 records were by Captain Bholanath, Dr Harnaam Das and Ahmed who sang or recited in various languages.

Good luck finding one of those. No collector has ever seen them. The artists and titles are only known from an entry in the 100-page "Gramophone Record Catalogue" of December 1899.

Frederick William Gaisberg reahced Calcutta and did the first recordings on 2nd November 1902.

To be precise, Gaisberg began recording on 8 November 1902. The Englishman Walter Stanley Burke, a well-known sportsman and publisher of "The Indian Field", the leading sporting paper of India, was first. Gaisberg recorded one issued 7" and one issued 10" disc with his voice. Burke was immediately followed by the first native tongue, the dancing and singing girl Sashimukhi.

[dd_calcutta]

With this much information, I am entering the domain of search - across the country. I have been dealing in antiques since long with earlier interest in nautical, horologic and books mainly. This is a new domain for me but expect to find something of value soon. Will keep you informed. Just need your blessings !

Thanks and warm regards !

DD

[dd_calcutta]

Hi,

Just posting an update. Yesterday I went around Calcutta and located 4 dealers who has some collections of old vinyl. Two of them will take me to their store next week while I bought over 120 records from the other two. Approx 40 of them are un-identifiable and broken and the rest are in various conditions from mint to chipped.

Apart from HMV and Columbia, I also found labels like Megaphone, Regal Zonophone (Three discs with labels mentioning ‘Not for sale’), London American Recordings, Deca, Parlophone, Philips, Spotlight Classic (Aus), The Twin, Jien O Phone, MGM, New Theater’s Record (Calcutta) and Capitol Records. I will catalogue everything once I get time.

The best lot was from an estate sale leftover - 14 pieces of orchestra and choir, 12 inch records all 78 rpm from HMV and Columbia.

Another prize find was a HMV 113 model gramophone, currently under restoration as the top cover is damaged. The machine is funning and running and the guy is an expert restorer. This machine is supposed to play the 78 well but to be on the safe side I have ordered a Audio Technica AT-LP120BK-USB Direct-Drive to convert all data to digital.

Regards,

DD