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phonogfp wrote:Well, I wasn't going to scan the entire article since the question was concerning slightly later Zonophone records, but as long as we've backed up to the beginning, I'll add the first two images from the article, as well as the first page. You can double-click on any of these images to enlarge them.

Wayne, the cracked Universal record you show is only 3 catalog numbers from the one in Figure 3! (Both by the Zonophone Orchestra.)

By the way, the title of this article is A Band of Sound; The Basic Types of American Zonophone Records.

I just noticed that on the first page of the article, the year 1899 is mentioned a couple of times. I fear I was led astray 33 years ago by certain items published in The Phonoscope. By 1985, while researching for an article on Columbia's entry into the disc industry, I became convinced that Zonophone machines and records did not appear until spring 1900.

George P.

Thanks George for sharing the rest of the article with us. I am curious regarding the record shown in Fig.2. You describe it as a pirate and with the Zon-O-Phone notch present on the reverse. Did it also have the UTM Co. lease agreement on the reverse like I showed in my previous post..?. Just curious... . I noticed that about my other record...only three numbers apart. The crack you see is actually from this shrinkage. This is also pressed from a brownish, soft material. You can see other cracks in the reverse pic I posted.
Some record experts believe these records may have been experimental using this material. I mention in another thread, that these records appear to have been pressed in both this brown material and normal black shellac.
Clearly, this material did not hold up over time once cooled.

gramophone78 wrote: I am curious regarding the record shown in Fig.2. You describe it as a pirate and with the Zon-O-Phone notch present on the reverse. Did it also have the UTM Co. lease agreement on the reverse like I showed in my previous post..?. Just curious... .

No lease agreement is on the reverse of that record - only the notch.

George P.

For anyone interested here are 2 videos from my YouTube channel that I posted years ago featuring play of a couple of early 7 inch Zonophone records from my collection.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs0hLJ9sLLk[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x2mkyl49o8[/youtube]

Doug

phonogfp wrote:

gramophone78 wrote: I am curious regarding the record shown in Fig.2. You describe it as a pirate and with the Zon-O-Phone notch present on the reverse. Did it also have the UTM Co. lease agreement on the reverse like I showed in my previous post..?. Just curious... .

No lease agreement is on the reverse of that record - only the notch.

George P.

Thanks George. It would seem UTM Co. was experimenting with all sorts of things before the release of their product in the Spring of 1900.

Although hard to prove, it has been suggested these brownish "blank" records may have been pressed during the very early stages of production.

Here is another "blank" UTM Co. record (not a former Berliner title) that has no notch, nor lease agreement (there is also a black shellac copy from the same stamper that survives).

Below, another "blank" record with the lease agreement on the reverse.

I would like to give recognition to the lady here that originally found this cache of records in a local antique store. She had the good sense in keeping them together as found. Sadly, breast cancer took her far too young. Near the end she contacted me to see if I would care for these records she was so proud in finding. She will be missed by me.

FellowCollector wrote:For anyone interested here are 2 videos from my YouTube channel that I posted years ago featuring play of a couple of early 7 inch Zonophone records from my collection.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs0hLJ9sLLk[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x2mkyl49o8[/youtube]

Doug

Doug, great videos. I should really record some of my early ones too. I'm just nervous to play them, since they are pressed from a soft material.
You may also want to adjust the 1899 date in the title of that one video. It has been discovered that Universal's Zono-O-Phone records and machines did not reach the market until the Spring of 1900... .

Finally able to upload the pictures.

Clay

Doug, thanks for the video posts. Enjoyable and interesting.

Clay

Clay,

According to William Bryant in The American Zonophone Discography, Vol I, Ten- and Twelve-Inch Popular Series, 1904-1912 (Mainspring Press), your record was released in February 1905. It later appeared on double-sided Zonophone No.5201; Disco Zonophono No.13502, and Oxford No.5201-A.

George P.

Thanks George. I just ordered that book from Mainspring Press, but it hasn't arrived yet.

Clay