The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

“On This Day in the History of Recorded Sound…”

June 25, 1900: Columbia won a Permanent Injunction that prohibited Emile Berliner from selling Gramophones or records to anyone other than Frank Seaman (who had already adopted the superior Zonophone). This ended Berliner’s business in the U.S. and forced Eldridge Johnson to continue on his own, eventually forming the Victor Talking Machine Company.

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I like the historcial "on this day" posts. Thank you for sharing the history.

George, Any idea of the latest serial # Berliner known ?

Thank You !
Iowa Dale

EdiBrunsVic wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2024 7:14 pm I like the historcial "on this day" posts. Thank you for sharing the history.

You're very welcome!

George P.

Hit of the Week wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2024 8:24 pm George, Any idea of the latest serial # Berliner known ?

Thank You !
Iowa Dale

U.S. Berliner numbers appear to peter out around 35,000. As for the highest number known, I suppose that would best be determined by a survey. I currently have too much going on to do one!

George P.

Thank you for your input, George !

The typical horror story of the greedy establishment, stealing the business development of an invention from the hands of the man who invented it...

EdiBrunsVic wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2024 7:14 pm I like the historcial "on this day" posts. Thank you for sharing the history.

Me too! I look forward to these every day!

Inigo wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2024 9:12 pm The typical horror story of the greedy establishment, stealing the business development of an invention from the hands of the man who invented it...

I once again feel compelled to defend Frank Seaman in this regard.

Section Eight of Seaman's contract with Berliner allowed him to secure goods of equal or better quality if they could be had for 5% less than Johnson's Improved Gramophone. This he did repeatedly through Levi Montross, Robert L. Gibson, and Louis Valiquet. The Berliner group refused to sanction every machine Seaman presented to them. It was later revealed that the Berliner Company President and attorney, Thomas Parvin, had a financial interest in Eldridge Johnson's activities. After three years of Berliner failing to honor his contract with Seaman, the latter arranged to market the far superior Zonophone. I'm surprised it took Seaman that long to take action.

All this is explained in detail in The Talking Machine Compendium on pages 41-42, pages 73 and 75. More recent research has been published in the APS magazine - especially the June 2019 issue. The narrative that Frank Seaman was the "bad guy" was promulgated by Read & Welch in From Tinfoil to Stereo. As another collector/historian recently remarked, "We've come a long way since then."

George P.

But what had Columbia to do with all this? I never remembered Columbia requesting an injunction against Berliner... but Frank Seaman's organisation... (sorry for my bad memory, I've read this story several times and still get confused)...