My First Berliner Record

[Josh Cattermole 1999]

Hello. I haven't posted in a while. I have been slowly building my record collection ever since my last post, and finally I have acquired something which was at the top of my list: to get a record from the 19th century/1800s. Here is my first (perhaps the first of many) Berliner record in my collection. Apologies for the quality of the pics, but those are the ones the seller posted for the auction which I won this morning. I have yet to receive the record (I made sure to inform the seller to pack it extra safely, just in case).

It is a recording of a song titled ''Laugh When E'er You Can''. ''Swing'' by John Morton, Moore and Burgess (I think that's what it says). Recorded in London on ''11-15-98'' which I assume to mean 11 November 1898.

Any further info that might be gleaned from this? Or does anybody know about this song or the singers?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I will post some more pictures once the record has arrived.

Many Thanks, and I hope you enjoy

Joshua

[donniej]

That's a very early European Berliner, so congratulation on finding a good one! IIRC, Berliner only began producing discs in August of '98 in London. That was his first venture outside the USA since the 5" discs at K&R.

On the back of your disc, does it have "Reproduced in Hanover" embossed on it?

[vansteem78]

You found a nice one. I have none with the angel on them. My first was Throw Out the Life Line and it has two holes on it so can play on some strange machine. I have never seen a machine that has two spindles though would love to. Anyone have a photo of the type of machine this was played on? Neil

[donniej]

Neil,
I'd bet that your disc was drilled out twice... once to fit a Zonophone, and second time to fit a "Standard". Both of which are very common, but yours is the first time I've seen both done to the same disc!

BTW, the angel only appears on European Berliners.

[Josh Cattermole 1999]

Wow! Very interesting info guys. I had no idea my disc was so early. That makes it even more interesting. I just saw it up for sale and bought it because it was a 19th century one. No clue it was what it is.

I have not received the record yet, but will definitely check it and send pictures once it has done.
Really nice record Neil. I like that. Does it sound alright when played? And really amazing history how it was drilled out for different machines.

Just a quick quiestion. The record presumably says ''reproduced in Hanover''. Does that mean the raw/blank discs themselves were made in Hanover and then recorded onto in London? Also, are all of these records unique, or was there a ''master record'' which was used to create a run of records with the same song on them, or was the recording made directly onto my record and my record only?


Many thanks again for you knowledge on this. Cheers.

[Governor Flyball]

When the Gramophone Company arrived in London in August 1898, they set up a recording studio in the basement of a hotel at 31 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. I have walked past 31 Maiden Lane and as of a couple of decades ago, the building was still there.

The recording of discs to the zinc blanks and the chromic acid bath I believe was done at the studio. But I recall Fred Gaisberg said that the cost of British labor for record pressing was high. Gaisberg had relatives in Hannover where the labor cost was less hence pressing was done there for the Gramophone Company for many years.

The finished product was sent from Hannover to the UK for sale.

An excellent book describing the earliest days of the Gramophone Company is the Gaisberg biography written by British musicologist Jerrold Northop Moore entitled "A Voice in Time".

[Josh Cattermole 1999]

That's very interesting info. I will have to check out this building myself. I live in the UK so might be worth going down to Lonon to see where my record was recorded over 120 years ago. Thanks.

[AmberolaAndy]

Neat find! I wonder how long it took most people here to find their first Berliner disc? Because I’ve been collecting for 11 years and have had no luck at all. I could get one on eBay but I don’t want to get into any bidding wars and I dislike paying more than $30 for a single record. It’s probably the reason I don’t have any Paramounts or Black Pattis either lol.

[alang]

It is a recording of a song titled ''Laugh When E'er You Can''. ''Swing'' by John Morton, Moore and Burgess (I think that's what it says). Recorded in London on ''11-15-98'' which I assume to mean 11 November 1898.

I am pretty sure it says "sung" by John Morton "of' Moore & Burgess. 11-15-98 means 15 November 1898.

Congratulations to your nice and early record.

Andreas

[HisMastersVoice]

I dislike paying more than $30 for a single record.

You answered your own question