Montreal Star, November 26, 1920, p. 25: "The Columbia Graphophone Company is the only company in the Dominion of Canada that can furnish its dealers with a complete line of Canadian manufactured Phonographs and Records. In the development of this Canadian industry the Columbia Graphophone Company is embodying in its products the particular demands and needs of the Canadian people to the extent that Columbia Grafonolas and Records will eventually become the National Canadian Musical Instrument."
Gas lighting, as installed in the Columbia Phonograph factory, Toronto, 1913. Records, sleeves, shipping containers can all be seen by gaslight here. The Toronto City Directory of 1913 places the Columbia factory at 73 - 85 Adelaide St. W., which would have been on the south side of Adelaide close to Sheppard St. In 1914, the Columbia factory was at 365-367 Sorauren Avenue. Image courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1034; Consumers' Gas Company Ltd. fonds.
Envelope postmarked June 24, 1914 showing the Canadian Columbia factory, 365-7 Sorauren Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. Collection of Bill & Betty Pratt.
Winnipeg Tribune, January 7, 1916, p. 3. For sale at J.A. Banfield, "The Patricia is a special Canadian Grafonola."
Saskatoon Daily Star, January 8, 1916, p. 13. "Complete list of Columbia Made-in-Canada Records".
Talking Machine World, October 1919, p. 103. "COLUMBIA BUYS CANADIAN PLANT - Canadian Aeroplanes, Ltd., Taken Over by Columbia Co.
"More than 235,000 feet of factory space in Toronto is to be devoted to the manufacture of Columbia Grafonolas and records. The Columbia Graphophone Co. has bought from The Imperial Munitions Board the plant of Canadian Aeroplanes, Ltd., on Dufferin street. With the single exception of the Massey-Harris Works, this is the largest plant under one roof in Toronto. It occupies twelve acres of ground and consists of eight large permanent buildings and three smaller frame buildings, together with the railroad sidings, which run directly into the largest structure. This extensive purchase was made, according to officials of the Columbia Graphophone Co., to take care of the rapidly and consistently expanding demand in Canada for their product. Both Grafonolas and records are to be made under the same roof, and the company will take advantage of the drying kilns installed for the manufacture of aeroplanes to make their own cabinets for the Grafonolas. The company officials state that the support of the trade in Canada has justified this big development and made it possible.
"The construction of this modern plant was begun in February, 1917. It began Operations in May of that year, and continued under high pressure until the close of 1918. The exterior walls of the eight large buildings are faced with red pressed brick, and their frames are of steel. The windows all have steel sashes and all the build lags except the garage are protected by means of an automatic sprinkler system. The largest structure of the plant is that lying along the south boundary of the property, formerly used as the fusilage building. It is 680 feet long, and has a total floor area of 42,570 square feet. The next largest structure, formerly the Hill Building, lies along the north boundary of the property. It is 420 feet long and has an available floor space of 39,150 square feet. Between these two rises the former wing building, 5S0 feet long, with a floor area of 35,200 square feet. The two-story structure at the east end of the property has a total available floor space of 14,350 square feet, and the storage building just behind it 27,600 square feet. The former propeller building between this and the Hill Building, has two floors and an area of 18,880 square feet. In addition to these buildings, there are the boiler house and the kilns, the garage with storage space for twelve cars, and a repair shop large enough to hold three motor trucks, a lumber shed, an experimental building and a time office. The time office building in which the employment office is also located, was designed to handle more than two thousand employees, out and in, and did so successfully during the war. This factory conducted by the Columbia Graphophone Co. will offer employment to at least an equal number."
Canadian Music Trades Journal, October 1919, p. 61.
Toronto Daily Star, September 19, 1919, p. 3. Columbia Grafonolas for sale at The Adams Furniture Company Ltd., Toronto.
Talking Machine World, June, 1922, p. 6: "A PROGRESSIVE TORONTO DEALER - The Adams Furniture Co., of Toronto, Can., Enjoys Rapid Growth Through Aggressive Merchandising and Publicity Methods. The Adams Furniture Co., Columbia dealer, is probably the largest and best-known furniture house in this city and possibly Canada. The company has been handling the Columbia line almost ten years during which the Grafonola department has enjoyed a steady growth under the management of N. A. Little. The Adams Co. had its best year in 1921. Taking the fullest advantage of the reduction in prices, it sold seventy-eight floor dels of Grafonolas on the first Saturday after the reduction was announced, and it has been a small day with them since when they have sold less than thirty instruments on a Saturday. The Adams Furniture Co. is the type of concern which believes in taking up every reasonable suggestion for publicity purposes, and the number of stunts it has put over would, if described, 'fill a book.'"
Toronto Daily Star, December 18, 1919, p. 4. "An example in design and finish of the best Canadian craftsmanship." Lists the 27 Columbia dealers in Toronto at the time.
Toronto Daily Star, April 30, 1920, p. 11. 31 Columbia dealers in 1920.
Montreal Star, November 26, 1920, p. 25.
The Globe, June 15, 1920, p. 7. The Dictaphone was a talking machine designed to be marketed as a dictation machine. It was manufactured by the Columbia Graphophone Company at its Canadian factory in Toronto.
Talking Machine World, February 1921, p. 23: "The Columbia Graphophone Co. has recently opened up its first branch house in Canada serving the retail trade direct. This establishment is located at 204 St. Catherine Street, Montreal, with Hector Garand as manager."
Talking Machine World, September 1921, p. 45: "Columbia Co. Opens Wholesale Headquarters in Toronto, Under Supervision of A. E. Landon As announced recently, the Columbia Graphophone Co. has completed plans whereby it will open its own wholesale branch at Toronto. Arrangements to this effect were completed a few weeks ago and the branch is now serving Columbia dealers in Toronto territory. A. E. Landoll, manager of Columbia interests in Canada, is actively in charge of the Toronto branch. H. L. Pratt. branch service manager of the company, spent the past week in Canada, visiting the Toronto and Montreal branches. R. F. Bolton, sales manager of the International record department. also spent the week in Canada. conferring with Mr. Landon regarding plans for developing foreign language record business."
Talking Machine World, September 1921, p. 127: "The Columbia Graphophone Co., Toronto, has established its own distributing branch for the Province of Ontario, thus handling itself the Ontario Columbia jobbing business heretofore done by the Music Simply Co. It is the purpose of A. E. Landoie, We Canadian Columbia manager, to take the first step in extending a hand of confidence and fellowship by personally calling on the Columbia dealer."
Talking Machine World, March 1922, p. 131: "A. E. Landon, manager of the Columbia Graphophone Co.'s Canadian branch, has just returned from a visit to New York and is greatly pleased with the decision arrived at in connection with the parent firm in New York. In discussing Canadian business, Mr. Landon pointed out that the factory at Toronto is in active operation and plans are under way for the exporting of cabinets to the United States."
A Columbia upright phonograph, Made in Canada, for sale on Facebook Marketplace in 2023.
Another Columbia upright phonograph, Made in Canada, for sale on Facebook Marketplace in 2023.
A Columbia upright phonograph, Made in Canada, for sale in Kitchener, Ontario in 2023.
A Columbia table model Lyric Graphophone sold by Fletcher Bros., Victoria, B.C.
Envelope postmarked August 15, 1927 from Columbia Phonograph Company Limited, Canadian manufacturers of the New Columbia Phonograph and New Process Records, Toronto, Ontario, Canada to an address in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Collection of Bill & Betty Pratt.
