A Diamond disc but not a "Diamond Disc"

[Gramtastic]

Hi,
Anyone have any info on these "diamond" records eg who made them and when ? They are hill and dale edge start. Were they named like this to cash in on Edison Diamond discs or was it a coincidence ?
Tnanks

[Wolfe]

http://www.tedstaunton.com/labels/1910_ ... ecord.html

[Gramtastic]

Thanks for the link. As these are etched label and don't say "Pathé" they must be the British made ones from 1915. Anyone know anymore about the British company who made them ?

[Wagnerian]

This is indeed a Pathé Diamond Disc.

They were produced in Britain but pressed in France, by Pathé as a cheap Hill and Dale record from January 1915 with the last known supplement being issued in December 1918 for release in 1919.

The majority of the records had been previously issued as Pathé discs with most of the artistes being psuedonyms for popular performers. Most are etched labels but the very last few issued had paper labels.

The catalogue numbers started at 01 with the highest known number being 0428.

and below showing war time price inflation. The price of the disc has risen from 1/6d (7.5p in decimal money) to 3/- (15p in decimal money)

All the best

Tim W-W

[Gramtastic]

Thanks Tim - very helpful. I will look to see what numbers mine are.

[VintageTechnologies]

As the record jacket says, the Diamond Disk records are indeed records of quality. I have a stack of them, and of the ones I have listened to so far, they are loud and very well recorded.

[Lucius1958]

As these discs were apparently played with a Pathé sapphire stylus, the "Diamond" label may be a bit disingenuous.

News of the Edison discs had been circulating in Europe; but the phonographs and records themselves were nearly nonexistent, and the war cut off imports completely. It is possible that these discs were so named to capitalize upon the Edison reputation: after the war, when imports resumed, Edison discs proved too expensive for the British market ( plus the public reaction to the dubbed "Damnberols" )...

Bill

[Wagnerian]

I'm not sure how the name "Diamond Disc" came about except as some kind of suggestion of quality and durability. As you rightly say,Bill, the Edison Diamond Disc had only reached Britain in tiny numbers before the embargo on all non-essential imports in 1916, so perhaps the Edison company were unaware of a rival's use of the name. The fact that the Pathé-type Diamond Disc had disappeared by early 1919 probably meant that Edison probably hadn't time to mobilise his lawyers after the end of the war.

To produce a record that cannot be played on a standard gramophone without requiring a special sound box is usually the express route to commercial oblivion. The fact that records only survived for five years seems to bear this out although someone obviously bought an additional soundbox at the time. It is stamped on the back "Made in France" inside a lozenge similar to the reords.

All the best

Tim W-W