Edison-Bell's First Try to Exhibit Phonographs Themselves

[Starkton]

Years ago I acquired a contract between a certain Tom Fryer of Gordon & Co. and The Brighton New West Pier Company "for the Exhibition and demonstration of Edison’s Bell [sic] Phonograph, in connection with the Edison-Bell Corporation" which was closed on August 1, 1894, commencing on June 24, 1894 - see images. A short time before, in 1893, after it had become clear to The West Pier Company that having just an open deck for visitors to walk on was not enough to be viable, a pavillion was added at the pier head, see image, and this served as an entertainment centre with a wide range of performances going on.

In August 1897 the contract was extended and licensed Fryer to exhibit the phonograph in connection with the kinetoscope.

I collect these things and anything pre-1900 on talking machines is desirable, but the passage "in connection with" made me wonder. The true nature of this contract occured to me just recently:

In November 1892 the Edison United Phonograph Company had disposed of its exclusive rights in phonographs and graphophones for Great Britain and Ireland to the newly established Edison-Bell Phonograph Co., Ltd., of London. From the beginning of its existence the new company loaned phonographs to British and Irish exhibitors who derived a good income despite the prohibitive rental fee.

This is rather well known, but what makes the Tom Fryer contract so special and historically intereresting?
Following the report of the chairman read at the general meeting of Edison-Bell in March 1895, the officials acquired a taste to exhibit the phonograph themselves in "mid-1894". They "made some experiments with a view of testing the money-earning capacity" of their phonograph at Brighton, "where the drawings were most satisfactory".

The report does not describe the Brighton contract in more detail and its particulars got lost until the original document surfaced.

Later on, towards the end of the year 1894 and the beginning of 1895, further official tests were made at Charing Cross and Cannon Street Stations, in London. British collectors are called to search for these contracts.