The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

m nakamura
You may use the photos.
Good luck. Break a leg.
bob

I've put all 3 of these into Discogs. Feel free to edit them.

https://www.discogs.com/release/3434278 ... ected=true

https://www.discogs.com/release/3434282 ... ected=true

https://www.discogs.com/release/3434282 ... ected=true

Good afternoon.

What you see on these records are dealer stickers. They contain information about the record and also instructions. In China and Chinese America, the phonograph was new technology and many did not understand how to use it. The larger sticker you see is also an advertisement for the store it discusses about the stores stock of gramophones and phonographs.

I have seen this practice here in China, and I’m guessing with you it is present in America as well. Very cool!

Sometimes you see the labels removed with hot water at laundries and then replaced with a dealer label. A practice which I do not approve of.


paradroid1793 entered these into Discogs but if you find more you should also enter them into Discogs for catalog purposes. On the CAPS website, it showed a small frame from a Chinese man putting his ear to a phonograph and a small message about Chinese records at the time- it claims it is from a Victor catalog, however, I have not found any such catalog to exist?

These records are very rare by the way- the record store owner did not believe that someone owned one of these, though I am sure more are out there.

Anyway. Does anyone know of any scans or pictures of a Victor/Monarch Chinese catalog? This photo I included is supposedly from a June 1905 catalog supplement.

Thank you.
Chuck.

Hi Chuck,

That picture is genuine; it was the basis for Victor Talking Machine Company's Cantonese labels in the early 20th century

(The image below was filched from the Library of Congress, because the US Government cannot own copyright)

Michael Shoshani

Good morning.

Ah I see! However, it says the picture came from a catalog on the CAPS website.

Do you know of any Victor/Monarch Chinese catalogs existing? I've heard they exist, but haven't been able to find any scans or copies.

I looked but didn't find anything.

I’ve been talking with some professors and interested students at my school about the preservation of early Chinese recordings. I will report back once something has formed from the discussion.