The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I really want to know, what was the number of publications of those early Zonophone and Berliner Etched Shield Records at that time?

If you mean "How many of these records were pressed?", the answer can be closely estimated through the sales figures unearthed by Ray Wile. First published in the October 1975 issue of The Antique Phonograph Monthly (Vol. III, No.8), these included only Berliner sales for the years 1897-1899:

1897: 248,652
1898: 713,753
1899: 569,154

Wile included more Berliner sales figures in his article, "Berliner Sales Figures" which appeared in Vol. II, No.⅔ of the ARSC Journal (1979):

1894-1895: Approx. 25,000
1896: Approx. 100,000
1897: 248,652
1898: 713,753
1899: 569,154
1900 (Jan. to April): 255,784

This information is shown in a nice bar graph on page 46 of E. Berliner's Gramophone, Physical Characteristics and Label Iconography of the 7-inch American Berliner Record, by Michael W. Sherman, with David Giovannoni. Anyone with an interest really should have this book. It's the most comprehensive work on Berliner records (outside a discography) available.

As for early (1900-1901) Zonophone records, I'm not aware of any sales figures for these that survived.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:If you mean "How many of these records were pressed?", the answer can be closely estimated through the sales figures unearthed by Ray Wile. First published in the October 1975 issue of The Antique Phonograph Monthly (Vol. III, No.8), these included only Berliner sales for the years 1897-1899:

1897: 248,652
1898: 713,753
1899: 569,154

Wile included more Berliner sales figures in his article, "Berliner Sales Figures" which appeared in Vol. II, No.⅔ of the ARSC Journal (1979):

1894-1895: Approx. 25,000
1896: Approx. 100,000
1897: 248,652
1898: 713,753
1899: 569,154
1900 (Jan. to April): 255,784

This information is shown in a nice bar graph on page 46 of E. Berliner's Gramophone, Physical Characteristics and Label Iconography of the 7-inch American Berliner Record, by Michael W. Sherman, with David Giovannoni. Anyone with an interest really should have this book. It's the most comprehensive work on Berliner records (outside a discography) available.

As for early (1900-1901) Zonophone records, I'm not aware of any sales figures for these that survived.

George P.

Thank you very much!

dyxshop wrote: Thank you very much!

You're very welcome!

George P.