The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here is something unique. There were 2 Edison Diamond Disc records made specially for Mr. Henry Ford. This is the second of the two and contains two somewhat old fashioned string quartet pieces with piano. Ford was a fiddle fan and even played it a bit. This particular record has only been played 2 times. Once in a Diamond Disc machine and once for this transfer. They are new stock that was sold to some dealers by the Henry Ford Museum in Deerfield Michigan a number of years ago. I do not know the specifics of how they came to be for sale, but I do know they came from the Henry Ford archives. It is rare to hear a new old stock record of any 1920s record, but doubly rare for a Diamond Disc.

I think if this was indeed Ford's favorite music his parties must have been a bit stoic and dull. But, the records are pretty clean and really quiet for a Diamond Disc record. Must be how they all sounded when new and unplayed.

“Heel and Toe Polka” Special Record for Mr. Henry Ford 1924

(Double-click the video above or click this link to watch the video on YouTube in HD.)

https://youtu.be/tLIcNafy87w

“Seaside Polka (Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Aye)” Special Record for Mr. Henry Ford 1925

(Double-click the video above or click this link to watch the video on YouTube in HD.)

https://youtu.be/-qiNZ62XDz4

These sound great! It's like a modern recording.

And the musical choices aren't bad either! I woke up early this morning & was listening to mid-1910s waltzes and schottisches on the graphophone here. Hopefully a lot of us still enjoy this sort of music; there is a lot more to phonograph collecting than fox trots and Billy Murray and Uncle Josh.

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:These sound great! It's like a modern recording.

And the musical choices aren't bad either! I woke up early this morning & was listening to mid-1910s waltzes and schottisches on the graphophone here. Hopefully a lot of us still enjoy this sort of music; there is a lot more to phonograph collecting than fox trots and Billy Murray and Uncle Josh.

Thos. Edison and Henry Ford had a lot in common... each was cranky in his own way.

gramophone-georg wrote:

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:These sound great! It's like a modern recording.

And the musical choices aren't bad either! I woke up early this morning & was listening to mid-1910s waltzes and schottisches on the graphophone here. Hopefully a lot of us still enjoy this sort of music; there is a lot more to phonograph collecting than fox trots and Billy Murray and Uncle Josh.

Thos. Edison and Henry Ford had a lot in common... each was cranky in his own way.

AND, they both produced machines with cranks!

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:These sound great! It's like a modern recording.

And the musical choices aren't bad either! I woke up early this morning & was listening to mid-1910s waltzes and schottisches on the graphophone here. Hopefully a lot of us still enjoy this sort of music; there is a lot more to phonograph collecting than fox trots and Billy Murray and Uncle Josh.

Hey! Don't be talking about my (adopted) uncle josh and my always yelling (adopted) uncle Billy Murray!



Thanks for transferring these rare recordings for all to hear Melvind. I really enjoyed hearing these "new old stock" records.

New old stock Diamond Discs are, indeed, a wonder to hear. Thanks for posting these transfers.

I still wonder why there were SO many pressings ("zillions" and "boatloads" - Mr. Rondeau ) at the Henry Ford Museum.

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 5&p=184864

This music sounds like the type of record the seven professors were playing in the 1941 movie Ball of Fire starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The professors were trying to learn how to dance with foot prints laid out on the floor. Very funny scene. Then a professor came in with some new records like Shoot the liquor to me John boy! It was remade in 1948 as a musical with Danny Kaye with the title A Song is Born.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmrIZ4UwTnI

What a fabulous pair of recordings---outstanding reproduction and wonderful (extremelyy rare) evidence of what they must have sounded like getting on for a century ago. Impressive indeed ! Thank you very much for posting them and the photographs are equally fascinating when you think of what those two brought to this world . If only we had the transcript of what Ford was whispering into Edison's ear...…………..Superb !