Is it the smaller zonophone record ?

[phonodesbois]

At home, in a pile of records, my wife found a tiny single sided zonophone record with a 12.7cm diameter. I don’t know where and when we found it and I always thought Zonophone early records were 7” large…
The only indication on the back reads “reproduced in Germany”. The number of the label does match the engraved one. That’s all what I know.
Could someone help?
Jeff

[Dangermouse]

thats quite a find, i've never seen or heard of one that size !

[Orchorsol]

Wonderful! Eddie Shaw's D.A.T.E.S. Part 3 gives the year as 1905 or 06. Apart from thiose in the photo below, the only other entry for 5" Zonophone is O40500 to 40510, 1905, UK orchestras.

[phonodesbois]

Thanks for the info! By the way, do you known when Zonophone changed from etched to printed labels?

[Inigo]

Could it be a specialty of the Cie Française? As you may know, until 1915 our spanish Gramophone branch was dependant from the french branch, and called Compañía Francesa del Gramophone. In the spanish catalogues one can find what was named Discos Bebé (baby records) size 125 mm and the cheapest price. The June 1911 spanish Zono catalog still has them. See the sample.

[old country chemist]

I had several of these 5 inch diameter Zonophone single sided records about 35 years ago, mainly vocal as far as I can remember. I got quit excited when I saw them, BUT they were nowhewre near as old as I thought they were-arong 1905. They were discovered, unscathed, along with several small "Nicole" early laminated records in a sack of wood in a shed-well that is what the chap said when he gave them to me. I think I must have given the Zonophones away, but I kept the "Nicole discs.

[jamiegramo]

Very interesting! I had no idea there were Zonophone 5 inchers. I tried to find out if Zonophone 9 inch records were ever sold in Europe as they were in America. It appears they were not but maybe some one can confirm my conclusion?

[Inigo]

Aside from the Bebe 5" zonos in Spain, they also sold what they called "pequeños" (small) which I believe were 7" size. What they named grandes (large) were the standards 10" concert size. no trace still of the monarch 12" under Zono brand.
(to be confirmed ; cannot find reference to the exact sizes yet....)
it's a bit strange, for I have gramophone monarch records of this era with zono mx nos. in Spain there were the -y matrix code (gramophone green label, which was the popular series, into which all remaining zonos were dumped when they decided to discontinue the zono brand). I believe it was Kelly who said these x/y/z matrix series was Gramophone recordings made for the Zono label.... Maybe I'm wrong...

[Dulcetto]

Could it be a specialty of the Cie Française? As you may know, until 1915 our spanish Gramophone branch was dependant from the french branch, and called Compañía Francesa del Gramophone. In the spanish catalogues one can find what was named Discos Bebé (baby records) size 125 mm and the cheapest price. The June 1911 spanish Zono catalog still has them. See the sample.

These Zonophone 5 - inchers were issued in several European countries , so not unique to France . They are however quite uncommon , I've only seen a few examples in all my years of collecting. BUT >> These were not the smallest Zonophone records ! OK , the five inchers were the smallest commercially issued Zonophones , but a friend of mine has a 3 and ½ inch Zonophone , same size as the promotional Imperials that turn up from time to time. I would imagine its some kind of promotional record too . It has its original mailing box too. I'll have to see if I can get a photo of it