Songs from the RMS Titanic

[GrafonolaG50]

I know "Nearer My God To Thee" exists on both disc and cylinder, but what about the other song that was possibly the last played on that night? Was "Songe d'Automne" by Archibold Joyce ever released on an Edison cylinder or 78? If so, how hard would it be to find a copy of this, preferably on a cylinder from 1912 or prior?
Thank you for your time and happy collecting.

[estott]

I know "Nearer My God To Thee" exists on both disc and cylinder, but what about the other song that was possibly the last played on that night? Was "Songe d'Automne" by Archibold Joyce ever released on an Edison cylinder or 78? If so, how hard would it be to find a copy of this, preferably on a cylinder from 1912 or prior?
Thank you for your time and happy collecting.

Songe D'Automne was issued on a Blue Amberol: http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/searc ... linder5614

That link says it was recorded in 1918, other sites say 1912, I don't know the correct year, but it is period.

[edisonplayer]

I have "Be British" by Will D'Albert on a Vulcan repro 4 minute cylinder.Originally,the selection was on a wax Amberol in the English series issued in August,1912.edisonplayer

[epigramophone]

I have "Be British" by Will D'Albert on a Vulcan repro 4 minute cylinder.Originally,the selection was on a wax Amberol in the English series issued in August,1912.edisonplayer

"Song d'Automne" was issued on 4 minute wax Amberol 12020 in 1909. As Estott says, the Blue Amberol version 3379 was issued in 1918 but may have been recorded earlier.

"The sinking of the Titanic" on Blue Amberol 5200 was issued as late as 1926.

A disc recording of "Be British" coupled with "Stand to your post" was issued by Edison Bell on their Winner label in 1912 and remained in their catalogue for some years after the disaster. This is the Titanic related record which is most commonly found here in the UK.

[NEFaurora]

Found something interesting today..

I went and did a search of the R.M.S. Titanic 's Cargo manifest... and found this:


"Thomas and Pierson Co. - 1 case Edison gramophones"
"American Express Co. - 1 case gramophones" - No Brand type mentioned.

Well, even though they were not "gramophones" per se, It looks like some Edison Phonographs went down on the great ship.. 4 Minute models or 2 and 4 minute combination models If I had to guess... It would be great if we knew exactly what models they were.

Of course this also does not cover what passengers may have carried with them on board, or what may have already been in their suites already when they arrived on the ship.

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[orpington]

Would a cylinder phonograph been on the RMS Titanic as anything other than cargo? In other words, how would a phonograph perform due to the pitch of the waves, etc.?

[GrafonolaG50]

That is a good question. I'd think a cylinder machine would fare better than a disc machine due to the feedscrew system rather than the reproducer being drug across the record. A few machines were on board, but I do not know if they were just cargo, or if they were in any staterooms. On the manifest for cargo there was listed "One Case Edison Gramophones" with the owner being American Express Company. I wonder how many machines were in a "case"?

[Wolfe]

Everyone on Titanic only heard live music as they went to their final reward.

[NEFaurora]

Oh that was a bad joke!....

Anyway, It was the "Thomas and Pierson and Co." that had the 1 Case "Edison" Gramophones... Not the "American Express Co.". There was no Brand Name listed for the 1 Case of "American Express Co." gramophones.

I can tell you this.....Absolutely the Cylinder machine would fare much better than a Disc machine on the open sea with minimal waves. If the boat was "really rocking" back and forth, I think even the Cylinder machine would start to have problems though at some point.. but I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that the cylinder machine would be far more stable than the Disc machine...and I am also sure that a "Direct Drive" Amberola like a 30/50/75 would fair much better than a belt driven cylinder machine, and I am also sure that a "Direct Drive" Amberola with an Opera or Amberola V type setup would even work better than an Amberola 30/50/75 Direct Drive.

It would be a great test for "Mythbusters!"...To bad their show has ended after 10 years..

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[GrafonolaG50]

Sorry about the bad info, I was just going by what Encyclopedia Titanica said here http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/ca ... ifest.html