Interesting Social History !

Discussions on Talking Machines of British or European Manufacture
Gramtastic
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Interesting Social History !

Post by Gramtastic »

Saw this postcard from 1907 on Ebay where a father tells his son he has seen a gramophone which recorded his own voice ! I find it interesting that he uses the word "gramophone" as I assume at that time it was onto a cylinder "Phonograph" unless there were recording disc machines around then ?
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Sherazhyder
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Re: Interesting Social History !

Post by Sherazhyder »

According to Routledge Guide to Music Technology “The name (gramophone) given by Emil Berliner to his 1887 talking machine, which was the first to use discs as the record-ing medium. In the 19th century, the term remained exclusive to disc machines, indeed to the laterally cut disc.

OrthoFan
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Re: Interesting Social History !

Post by OrthoFan »

There were a few early attempts to tap into the home disc recording market, such as the Land-O-Phone of 1906, mentioned here: https://78records.wordpress.com/categor ... onographs/
Land-O-Phone.jpg
Land-o-phone TMW 1906.jpg

Sherazhyder
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Re: Interesting Social History !

Post by Sherazhyder »

‘ As a name for the whole operation (disc rotating on a vertical shaft) the inventor coined the word "gramophone" (in early advertisements it was often written Gram-o-phone). His earliest patents were number 372,786, awarded November 8, 1887, and number 382,790, dated May 15, 1888’.
ref: https://www.loc.gov/collections/emile-b ... ramophone/

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epigramophone
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Re: Interesting Social History !

Post by epigramophone »

In 1910 The Gramophone Company Ltd (HMV) applied to have the word "Gramophone" registered as a trade mark.
The application was denied because by that time the word "Gramophone" had become a generic term.

Oedipus
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Re: Interesting Social History !

Post by Oedipus »

It was probably a Neophone home recording attachment (which recorded on the hill and dale system), later (1910) re-launched as the 'Eureka' by Edison Bell. Interesting that the writer thought a recording gramophone was unusual, at a time when the phonograph was still in widespread use and was usually capable of recording. Or perhaps it was a phonograph and she did not know the difference between a gramophone and a phonograph?

Sherazhyder
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Re: Interesting Social History !

Post by Sherazhyder »

Is there a reproduction or replica of the disc recording device being marketed anywhere in the world? If not why? There are so many small concerns manufacturing replica gramophones and these are sometimes sold as original. Despite a plethora of warnings by experts about so called fake gramophones being sold as original, enthusiasts are buying them. Is there not an opportunity for the replica disc recording devices by logic ? Then why no one is coming to invest in this venture? Does it involve any complex technology? Any thoughts ?
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OrthoFan
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Re: Interesting Social History !

Post by OrthoFan »

Sherazhyder wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 12:02 am Is there a reproduction or replica of the disc recording device being marketed anywhere in the world? If not why?"
Probably because blank recording discs--specific to whatever type of recording device is reproduced--would also have to be made; unless the buyer just wanted to use it for a static display, in which case, he'd probably want an original.

Here's a "demonstration" of the Neophone recording device -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QkTzIzzPgc -- which doesn't have much of an impact since it can't record anything.

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zipcord
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Re: Interesting Social History !

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Re: Interesting Social History !

Post by OrthoFan »

Very interesting! Thanks for posting the link.

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