Adelina Patti Cylinder at EMI Archives....

[gramophone78]

Sean,that is cool.My records are # 95001,002,003 with sleeve,004 .They are all on your list.

[OrthoSean]

Since I'm scanning, here's the cover for the catalog this came from:

[gramophone78]

great cat.here is one of mine that is two months earlier.Tamango is inside but,on the back it is the "Eames" records.

[OrthoSean]

Nice!

Take a look at the thread I just started!

It's the prize of my paper collection!

Sean

[transformingArt]

great cat.here is one of mine that is two months earlier.Tamango is inside but,on the back it is the "Eames" records.

Here's something about Eames recordings; excerpts from the Memoir of Harry O. Sooy, the recording engineer who worked at Victor from 1898. Kinda hilarious, don't you think?

On February 20, 1905, we made our first records of Mme. Emma Eames, soprano. On, or about, the 24th of this month, Mr. Child and I returned to the New York Laboratory with finished sample records to play for her and get her approval of same. We felt pretty well pleased with the results, and naturally picked the particular record we thought best of the lot she had made to play for her first.

Mme. Eames, at that time, carried with her what we call a “Yes, Mam” woman. Upon reproducing the first record, which we considered the best of her voice, she raved and remarked “That’s the most hideous thing I ever heard, it doesn’t sound a bit like me does it?” And, of course, the “Yes, Mam” woman replied, “No, it does not.” While taking this “rotten” record off the Victrola, and putting another selection on, she was still raving, so much so, I thought it was about time for me to make my exit; however, when we started to reproduce the second selection, she had come somewhat to her reason, and thought it sounded better, more human, and more an interpretation of her voice. “Don’t you think so?” to the “Yes, Mam” woman, and the reply, of course, was “Yes, it is much better of your voice.”

And, by the time we had played all the records for her which she had made, she really thought they were not bad at all, and asked to hear the first one again. This, also, she thought very good, in fact, she passed them as being satisfactory.

Mme. Eames last recording date was April 14, 1911, and the recording staff has not had one minute’s Unrest because she does not make any more records for the V. T. M. Co.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Eames was an odd duck. I really, really like her recordings but she was reputed to be difficult indeed . And cold. Remember that review of her Aida ( by Hunekker, I believe) that began " There was skating on the Nile last night..."
But the most damning thing I've read was in Andre Benoist's memoirs. He was a wonderful accompanist( all those Spalding and early Heifetz recordings have Ben at the piano) and coach who worked with Eames . He said she was utterly unmusical and barely able to read music! I have to say I find this hard to believe:Gounod in fact was fond of her, but there it is.
Now on the other hand Eames was extremely well read and if she wanted to be, extremely charming. P G Hurst, who did the collectors corner column in The Gramophone adored Eames. They corresponded until her death. And the quotations from her letters make her seem quite lovely. Who knows.
I'm sure you've all read the stories about Kathleen Battle. Some of her hissy fits almost make one cringe to read them. She regularly performed with the Toronto Symphony in the 70's and 80's and friends of mine in the Symphony said she was an utter doll to work with.
And today Measha Brueggergosman has a similar reputation, and I may say the story of her life reads like an opera plot. But I've been the tuner at rehearsals where she has been performing. And she and I greeted each other and carried on like long lost relatives !
There are, as they say, many views of the mountain! ( Of course everyone likes the tuner )

Jim

[phonogfp]

Here's another Tamagno record and sleeve. I suspect the material from which the sleeves were made was prone to warping, accounting for the "waviness" seen in surviving examples.

I included a shot of the rear label as well. The "$50.00 Per Dozen" always jarred me whenever I read it... I'm used to reading "$12.00 per dozen" for Berliner records.

George P.

[Starkton]

He was a great artist, no doubt:



I wished I had the above record which came from Tamagno's estate, I believe.

What happened to this copy, by the way?

It wasn't for sale, that is a fact
As far as I remember it belongs to a public archive.

[gramophone78]

George,that is a very nice sleeve.If my memory serves well you were lucky and found it at a CAPS show.Does anyone know what record was suppose to be in the sleeve when first issued...Monarch,Victor or GP label or all???.

[phonogfp]

George,that is a very nice sleeve.If my memory serves well you were lucky and found it at a CAPS show.

Wow - a guy can't get away with anything around here!