The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I noticed that in these two threads it is mentioned that Frederick Hall of Chicago invented fibre needles:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=42836&sid=d77ed718 ... 092285be46

viewtopic.php?t=1125

I was just wondering, if Frederick Hall invented fibre needles, and 'started it all off', then why didn't he use the USA spelling fiber ('er') ?


Also, in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=56622&p=336416&hili ... es#p336416

Epigramophone mentions:

'Since 1902 The Gramophone Company had bought their needles from William Hall & Co of Studley and, apart from a brief flirtation with Zimmerman in Germany, they continued to do so until the end of production in 1963. I am sure that they were not Hall's only customer'.

I am wondering if the two people named 'Hall' were related ? It seems quite a coincidence other-wise ?

poodling around wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2023 10:24 am
I was just wondering, if Frederick Hall invented fibre needles, and 'started it all off', then why didn't he use the USA spelling fiber ('er') ?

It was probably done just to sound more "worldly". Like US born actors and actresses speaking with an English accent, (especially in the 30's & 40's it seems).

JerryVan wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2023 4:03 pm

poodling around wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2023 10:24 am
I was just wondering, if Frederick Hall invented fibre needles, and 'started it all off', then why didn't he use the USA spelling fiber ('er') ?

It was probably done just to sound more "worldly". Like US born actors and actresses speaking with an English accent, (especially in the 30's & 40's it seems).

Very interesting.

I think you must be correct - I suppose it continued during the following decades, for example with Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins and James Marsters as 'Spike' in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. 'Come to think of it', wasn't there an episode where Buffy killed a vampire with a fibre needle