Arthur K. Kempton--Canadian Antique Phonograph Project

Arthur K. Kempton, 8 McGill College Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, was known as "the specialty specialist". He advertised extensively in Canadian Music Trades Journal during 1918 and 1919. His initial product was the Black Diamond needle, a semi-permanent, multi-playing, phonograph needle. In February 1918 he organized the Black Diamond Needle Co., 111 Mappin & Webb Building, 10 Victoria Street, Montreal, Quebec. In May 1918 he encouraged piano dealers to also sell talking machines, with his assistance. He had the selling agency of the Regal brand of phonographs manufactured in Canada by Duchesne & Grimard, Ltd., Montreal, Quebec.

By August 1918 he promoted a wide variety of phonograph specialties for the talking machine trade including the "Disk-Lite", a light for talking machines; the Gloria record cleaner; the Golden Tone, Violaphone and Tonofone phonograph needles in addition to the Black Diamond; the Kempton No. 4 Jumbo tone-arm that plays all records; the Rotometer to test the speed of the turntable; and the Repeat-o-Graph, an attachment to repeat the playing of a record without human assistance.

Talking Machine World, September 1919, p. 162: "Arthur K. Kempton, phonograph specialist in supplies, is authority for the statement that the Repeatograph Co., Inc., Chicago, 111., will shortly operate a Canadian plant in Montreal for the assembling of their Repeatograph and they expect to be in a position to turn out this specialty so that it can retail at the same price as in the United States. A Canadian company will be formed with Mr. Kempton as manager."

Kempton had, in most cases, the exclusive distributing rights in Canada for these U.S.-made accessories. The wording "Kempton Patented Rotometer" in the advertisement appears to mean that the device was patented by Kempton and raises the possibility that it was manufactured in Canada. In February 1919 it was reported that he applied for Canadian and American rights for a new reproducer which would play any record without the necessity of having to turn, twist or change it.

Canadian Music Trades Journal, January 1918, p. 28.