The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I found this picture on this website http://forums.chisham.com/viewtopic.php ... 4&start=12 it says that this is a recording session from 1891, is that really that early?
-Tom

The bank of horns indicates it was a recording session before the advent of making a mold and duplicates by molding. Therefore it HAS to be brown wax.

Certainly is, this is "by the Round" recording. The machines are fitted with fresh blanks, and started , the recordings made and new blanks added. Note the either finished cylinders or supply of blanks on the right. Wish these photos were of higher quality to get more detail of the recorders on the machines, and the machines. There is some 1890s Edison sessions clearly showing the class M machines with the blanks noted before.

It's difficult to tell from the poor quality photo, but Phototone is right - - unless this was a small, independent recording company (such as Burke & Rous in Brooklyn, which recorded brown wax until around 1905) the bank of recording horns strongly suggests the 1890s. If it's really the Marine band, this would have been the Columbia Phonograph Company of Washington, D.C., which had an exclusive recording contract with the ensemble.

The fact that the Band members are wearing their uniforms suggests either a very early recording session or a staged photo. And the fact that 5 recording technicians are present in the same room with the Band also suggests either a very early recording session or a staged photo, since from the early 1890s, recording equipment/techniques were closely guarded secrets. Typically, only the recording horns would protrude into the room with the performers, while the actual recording took place behind a wall or partition where it could not be seen.

In short, the photo could show an 1891 recording session, but its origin is necessary to know for sure.

George P.

To be absolutely technically correct ALL RECORDING SESSIONS in the acoustic era were BROWN WAX sessions, as that is the color of the recording blanks up until the end of cylinder recording, regardless of whether they were recording finished records for sale, or recording a master for duplication by pantograph or plating and molding. The formula of the blanks did change, and was different over the years, but they were all a "brownish" wax color.

Yes all cylinders were all brown wax of some variety, either aluminum or lead based fatty acid compounds. And Disc masters. I think even early Victor recordings, when they switched from the poor quality zinc coated master to solid wax, Edison blanks were melted to make Victor master wax disc by Johnson. Does anyone have Victor's master wax formula from about 1915. I have Vocalion master wax formula for both England and Australia. Even up until the 40s Victor still used wax masters.

Lacquer masters started being used around 1936 or so. But wax was in still use for quite a while after.

When Roberto Alagna did that acoustic (disc) recording session 10-15 years ago, they used good old brown wax. Wonder who they got to make it.

Tpapp54321 wrote: I found this picture on this website http://forums.chisham.com/viewtopic.php ... 4&start=12 it says that this is a recording session from 1891, is that really that early?
-Tom

yes it is and according to the 1977 dutch book dank u meneer edison (thank you mr edison)it is a 1891 columbia recording session of sousa's band

ps note the strange possition of another recording horn among the musicians

tinovanderzwan wrote:

Tpapp54321 wrote: I found this picture on this website http://forums.chisham.com/viewtopic.php ... 4&start=12 it says that this is a recording session from 1891, is that really that early?
-Tom

also it must have been a hot summers day in 1891
note the various handfans in the picture there are also spitoons in the pic with obvious dribble next to it (for instrument spit valves)

Apparently, the picture scan was simply ripped from Glenn Sage's website:

http://www.tinfoil.com/record.htm#phogram


And unlike many others, he is very intent on giving proper credits:

http://www.tinfoil.com/more.htm#credits