How some searches begin - just a picture of a label. (courtesy Bill Pratt)

At the June 2008 CAPS meeting, I announced that I had begun hosting a series of internet pages intended to begin the documentation of phonographs, gramophones and talking machines that were Canadian-built or were built exclusively for the Canadian market. It has been a surprising and very satisfying year as other CAPS members—as well as total strangers—have chipped in to sketch out and/or flesh out the background on some two dozen brands.

Ranging from out-and-out rumour to tantalizing orphaned decals, through to fully-documented histories complete with catalogues, you can now find something in the website on: Apex Electrophonic (by Compo), Brant-ola, Brunswick, Canadian, Casavant Frères, Cecilian, Curtiss Aeronola, Egan Phonograph Company, Gerhard Heintzman, Grandola (by Purdy), Gunn-son-ola, Karn, Knapp, McLagan, Musicphone, Phonola, Rayola (and Silver Tone, both by the London Phonograph Company), Ro-Tone-ola, Sugden, Symphonola, Canadian Vitaphone, and Windsor. I also have a small backlog still to put up—when I can find the time again—and even though we have found some brands that Edward Moogk didn’t document in Roll Back The Years (National Library of Canada, 1975), there are others he did document that we still haven’t found.

This is a collaborative project and it’s always in need of the next bit of information, auction or antiques-store photograph, or anything relevant that you may have in your collection. In this issue, Jennifer Mueller (who gave us some terrific articles on Regal in 2006 as well as some material on other brands) shares the story of her research journey that started with a simple garage sale purchase.

At some point I intend to share some of the interesting stories on how the CAPP material has come to light but, for now, please get out there, search and share!

There is a variety of excellent reference books available.

Introduction

Many of us enjoy watching The Antiques Road Show and the unique stories that accompany the artefacts. Virtually every artefact has a story to tell, and a little research can reveal some of those stories. This article will offer some tips on how to discover more about the history of your antique phonograph.

A few years ago, I purchased an antique phonograph cabinet at a garage sale. I was curious about its past, and decided to learn more about its history. I discovered that my phonograph had been manufactured by a small Toronto company called the Regal Phonograph Company, Ltd. During the course of my research, I found that the company existed only seven years and that the owner had twice been arrested for fraud! I also learned a great deal about the phonograph industry in Canada. I shared my findings with CAPS readers in the January-February and March-April 2006 issues of CAPS Antique Phonograph News.

Although this article is written specifically about phonographs, much of the basic research information could be applied to goods manufactured in Canada between the late 1800s and the 1930s.

Provenance versus History

Before I begin, I need to make one thing clear. I am offering information on how to research the history of your phonograph, not its provenance. Provenance is the ownership history of a specific artefact. It is established through receipts and invoices (such as a bill of sale), photographs, correspondence, auction catalogues or any document that indicates who owned your phonograph at a particular point in time. If your phonograph has been passed down through your family, you may know quite a bit about its provenance. Artefacts with a known provenance, especially a famous provenance, are often more valuable than artefacts with an unknown past. On the other hand if, like me, you bought your phonograph at a garage sale, little, if anything at all, will be available about its provenance. And unless you discover a receipt tucked into the cabinet somewhere, you probably never will know.

On the 100th anniversary of powered flight in Canada, we note that Curtiss Aeroplanes & Motors manufactured the Aeronola talking machine in Toronto. Globe & Mail, Nov. 29, 1919, p. 18.

The history of your phonograph is the more general story about who manufactured the phonograph, how it was made and possibly, even when. History can provide you with interesting stories about, and a better understanding of, the company that made your phonograph and the era in which it was made.

Research Sources

First, start with your phonograph. Does it bear a manufacturing mark or a decal? Every bit of information may be important. My Regal phonograph had a brass plaque on the back that identified the name of the company and the city where it was manufactured. That plaque was key to beginning my research, since it offered important clues on where to begin. Once you have some basic information, like the trade name of the phonograph, a company name or a place of manufacture, you can begin to look for other sources of information.

The local library and the internet are both important places to continue your search. Books, articles and websites can provide you with a lot of information about antique phonographs. A great deal of excellent literature has been written on phonographs and phonograph manufacturers. If you own a Victrola, a Columbia or an Edison, you may not need to go much beyond these sources to find out almost everything there is to know about your machine. But if you own a more obscure model manufactured by a smaller company, you may need to do more research. Books, like Edward B. Moogk’s Roll Back the Years: History of Canadian Recorded Sound and its Legacy (National Library of Canada, 1975), or the numerous articles and book reviews in the CAPS Newsletter may provide you with a few additional pieces of information that will contribute to your overall search.

The most useful research sources, after reviewing books and websites, are city directories, newspapers and trade journals. A review of these three primary sources should give you a pretty good idea about the history of the company that manufactured your phonograph.

Selection from a city directory, Lovell’s Montreal Directory 1921-1922, Montreal: John Lovell & Son Ltd., 1921, p. 1917.

City directories are an annual alphabetical listing of businesses and residents of a particular town or city. There are city directories for all the major cities and many large towns across Canada. City directories also include a street directory and an advertising section where companies paid to advertise. Similar to telephone books, directories were used as an advertising and marketing tool, and promoted the amenities and industrial development of a city. If you know the place where your phonograph was manufactured, the local city directory can provide you with important basic information, such as the street address of the firm and the names of the owners or executives of the company. Advertisements can provide more information about the company, including phonograph model and price information. Be sure to check various headings, like "Phonograph, Talking Machine" or "Musical Instruments" when looking for advertisements. By reviewing a directory over a period of time, you can determine the approximate dates for the start and demise of the company and any changes over time. City directories are available in most libraries (on microfilm if not in book form). Library and Archives Canada is making some city directories available online at http://www.collectionscanada.ca/canadiandirectories/index-e.html. Newspapers and newspaper advertisements can provide invaluable detail about a phonograph, including line-drawings, model information, clues about the manufacturing process, information about component parts, retail stores and more. You may even find related news items, obituaries and bankruptcy notices that reveal more about the phonograph manufacturer and the history of the company. Newspapers are time-consuming to review, so it is best if you already have a date range in mind before you start your search. Most newspapers are available on microfilm through public libraries via interlibrary loan. Some newspapers are now available online in searchable databases, including the Toronto Star, the Toronto Globe/Globe and Mail, and many others. These searchable databases are usually a subscription-based service, but some large libraries provide access to their patrons. Their database search engines are good, but not perfect. Be aware that you may miss valuable information if you rely on only a few terms typed into a database search box.

Windsor Phonograph advertisement, Toronto Star, Saturday, November 6, 1920, p.10.

Trade journals are news sources published by and for specific industries. These magazines contain information about new developments and technology in the industry, the impact of government policy and corporate information, such as the establishment of a company, its expansion, a new factory or its bankruptcy. They also usually include industry gossip, including marriages, deaths and career changes. They are an important source for industry advertising. Since the advertising was aimed at retailers, rather than the general public, the information contained is often more detailed than that found in newspapers. The Canadian Music Trades Journal was the industry magazine for phonograph and record manufacturers in Canada between 1900 and 1933. Trade journals are generally available only in the larger, specialized libraries, but many of the older journals (including the Canadian Music Trades Journal up to about 1920) have been microfiched and are available to borrowers via interlibrary loan.

For those curious to know even more, there are numerous other sources that may be useful in tracking the history of your phonograph. Some are more readily accessible than others, but these sources can provide different kinds of detailed information about phonographs. For example, trademark and patent information are available online through the Canadian Intellectual Property Office website, at http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/welcome/welcom-e.html. Their trademark database includes registered trademarks from 1865-2006¹, while the patent database currently contains patents from 1920-2006. The patent database includes corporate information as well as scanned copies of the complete patent (description and illustrations). The patent database is a useful resource in determining technical advancements in talking machine or phonograph design, particularly if they are related to your phonograph.

Trade catalogues, brochures, manuals and advertisements are other helpful sources of information on specific phonographs or phonograph parts. Catalogues for the major phonograph manufacturers are frequently available on e-Bay, but it is more difficult to find materials for small Canadian manufacturers. The libraries at the Canada Museum of Science and Technology, Library and Archives Canada and a few other specialized reference libraries have significant collections of these rare and useful documents.

Regal Phonograph advertisement, Canadian Music Trades Journal, February 1917, p.26.

Additional sources include corporation files which contain most of the documentation received by the government about the corporation, such as correspondence, drafts of the letters patent, orders-in-council and other documents that will indicate who was involved in the company and what it was permitted to do. A company may incorporate at the federal or provincial level, and corporation files are usually found at either Library and Archives Canada, for federal incorporations, or at the appropriate provincial department or archives.² On the opposite end of the spectrum, corporate bankruptcy files can often also be found in provincial archives. These files can tell you about the sad end of a phonograph company.

At the local level, in municipal archives or city offices, old tax assessment rolls can provide information about the individuals who worked for a company, including their specific occupations. This information may be useful in determining how your phonograph was manufactured. Maps and plans, particularly fire insurance plans, are helpful in determining the size of the factory or manufacturing facility. Again this may help you determine how large the company was, and give you a rough idea of its manufacturing capacity.

As you learn more about the history of a phonograph company, one source may lead you to another, and you will slowly be able to piece together a history of the manufacturer of your phonograph. You may research as much or as little as you choose, depending on what you want to know about your phonograph.

What to do with the information

Here are a few tips about doing good research that will be helpful as you trace the history of your phonograph. First, keep notes. Write everything down, or make photocopies of the information you find. It will help you remember what you learn. Equally important is writing a proper source citation for each piece found . For every book, newspaper, or website that you review and for their photocopies or printouts, it is very important to record the basic information about that source. That information includes the author, title, date and page number or web address. This information will allow you to know where the information came from and, if required, you could look it up again. Finally, you will need to organize your research. Keep it in an envelope or in several file folders, but keep it together. You may even want to write a little summary or a chronology just so you will remember the details of your research.

I had a discussion once with a phonograph collector about his passion for antique phonographs. He loved to recreate his machines and listen to the wonderful music they produced. He was interested in the history of his machines, but it was of secondary importance to him. I, on the other hand, am passionate about the history, and my curiosity is not satisfied until I can uncover every possible source of information. Whether you are a passionate history buff, or a passionate collector, knowing something about the history of your phonograph can only improve your understanding of the machine. It is my hope that this article will serve as a useful starting guide in that quest. And the next time your friends or guests admire your phonograph, you can play a few records and tell them some interesting stories about your phonograph.

I don't think there's anyone reading this journal who hasn’t heard of Sophie Tucker, and who couldn't provide a one-sentence description of her. As late as 1965, a year before her death at (a) 82, (b) 80, (c) 79, (d) 76, she was performing in Toronto as she’d been doing for sixty years, she appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, and the Schwann catalogue listed five LPs by her, four of them recorded since 1950. I also don’t think there’s anyone reading this journal who can claim to own, have seen or even have heard more than two or three of the early recordings collected in this incredible issue. Ten are Edison cylinders, another six are fabulously scarce vertical-cut Aeolian Vocalions, two more are on her own label, and even the remaining OKeh sides rarely turn up in playable condition.

Tucker’s recordings from the mid 20s on have been reissued many times, and are responsible for many people's perception of her as just a borderline blue entertainer with a Yiddishe Mama. The earlier recordings, from 1910 into 1922, paint a different picture. When she began her career, ragtime was supreme, and she was what was known as a "coon shouter". By the end of the period covered here, some were referring to her as "the Jewish Bessie Smith". The "Red Hot Mama" wasn’t to emerge for another year, the Yiddishe Mama for another 3 or 4, but she’d already recorded her signature tune "Some Of These Days" and had even abandoned it when it had become too popular.

Sonya Kalish was born (a) on a horse-drawn cart in Hungary, (b) at a stranger’s farm-house in Poland, (c) on a boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 1887, (d) at Boston General Hospital--which never existed, except in one of Sophie Tucker’s many versions of her early years. The family name somehow became Abuza, in yet another fascinating story.....which is part of the 60-page booklet that accompanies the CD. More correctly, the disc accompanies the book. It’s on a spindle inside the front cover, and the entire package is the same size and thickness as a standard CD jewel box. Inside are dozens of photographs and posters you’ve never seen, introductions by Michael Feinstein and Carol Channing, and fascinating notes by Susan and Lloyd Ecker, who are also working on the definitive film biography of Sophie Tucker. The recordings themselves have been expertly transferred, in many cases by the owners of the rare discs and cylinders, but the quality and processing are uniform.

Domenic DiBernardo, a well-known Canadian collector and member of CAPS, brought in his latest restoration for display at the June meeting. After months of work, Domenic completed restoration of a gold-plated Edison Opera in a mahogany cabinet.

Edison Operas have always been one of the most prestigious machines to have in a collection and their popularity has helped keep their value stable for many years. Considered the peak of Edison’s phonographic achievements in its day, the Opera was in production from 1911 to about the end of 1913. This particular model was available by special order in all gold- or nickel- plated versions, but few if any originals have survived, making this quite the item to add to a collection.

Having been impressed with the machine after seeing it in photos, I was surprised at how much more attractive it was when shown at the June CAPS meeting. The bedplate is nicely finished off with an Edison signature plate to make up for the lack of an Edison signature decal (as on all plated Operas).

The completely restored machine also drew an enthusiastic crowd at the Phonograph and Music Box Show in Union, Illinois, this past June.

Did Edison’s phonograph change the world, or did it just make a record of it?

As record collectors, we are saving the past. Is it because we find the music of yesterday more pleasant than that of today? If a traveler wishes he were else-where, does a collector wish he were else-when? And what is a "collector record"? Is it a record that you put on the wall, but don’t play? One writer called that, "décor for a lonely soul."

A "record" is a record of something past. We often say, "Change the record." We mean, "Exchange the record." It is not we who change the record. It is the record that has changed us. Let me explain.

When Edison invented recorded sound, he did not think of it as an instrument of change, but if Edison were alive today I think he would be surprised how the record has changed us, and of how far-reaching its influence has been. Let’s take one aspect of family life. Around 1900, record machines decimated the ranks of the family pianist. Edison had not foreseen this. His wish was to have a phonograph in every home. (Today, many homes have several, and teenagers often have one in each ear.) But, in the process, the family pianist almost vanished (perhaps to our loss); while the recording business is one of the largest industries in the world—along with oil and coffee.

More far-reaching than the disappearance of the family pianist were the changes brought about in people’s perceptions of religion. The record, along with the Kodak camera, both introduced for public consumption in 1888, gave the world a new meaning for eternity. Roughly three decades earlier, Christianity had been badly shaken by Darwin’s "Origin of Species", and people scurried around to find a substitute for eternal life beyond the grave. In the place of promises of "Kingdom Come", the record and photo (at least in sound and sight) gave them "immortality Now".

Perhaps the most dramatic change brought about by the record concerned our acceptance of Black culture. For example, the Blacks in the U.S. (and elsewhere) had little or no voice—except on recordings. While the world danced to "black" music, it did not realize that jazz and syncopation were cries for freedom. Jazz was the unshackled walk across a page of music, and syncopation walks to its own drummer.

It was the phonograph that brought the Blacks into our homes. When Marian Anderson was denied a room at the Royal York Hotel in 1942, she had already been welcomed into White living rooms, via the record, for over two decades. In this way, the record led the attack on racism. It was a song (and a dream) that "overcame". Maybe the stylus is more important than the pen.

There are more than two sides to a record, and its influence extends far beyond its circumference. The record has been and probably will continue to be a catalyst for change. Or maybe you just want to listen and allow the past to return. Even a song frozen in wax can warm a heart or two. Whatever your purpose, may the Recording Angel hover over all "phono-quarians" who wallow in their acoustic landscapes.

References used:

Performing Music in the Age of Recordings by Robin Philip
Setting the Record Straight by Colin Symes