On December 8, 1906, Hermann Schröder, Newark, N.J., assignor to H. Schröder Hornless Phonograph Manufacturing Company, 387 East 158th Street, New York, N.Y., filed for a patent on an internal horn, tabletop phonograph. Patent No. 864,758 was granted on August 27, 1907. Schröder filed for a Canadian patent on his machine on April 8, 1907. Canadian patent no. 105611 was granted on June 4, 1907.
In 1907, an agreement was made between the Schröder Hornless Phonograph Manufacturing Company and Arthur B. Pollock, head of the Pollock Manufacturing Company, Berlin, Ontario, licensing Pollock to sell the hornless phonographs in Canada (see Phonola page).
In 1908, a further agreement was made between Herman Schröder and Arthur Pollock assigning the Canadian patent to Pollock in exchange for royalties on the hornless phonograph.
In 1908, ads for Schröder's hornless phonograph appeared in newspapers in western Canada. At the same time, in mid-1908, using the Schröder Canadian patent as protection against Berliner/Victor who were also marketing a hornless talking machine, Pollock began manufacturing and advertising his Pollock hornless machines - four models: King, Crown Prince, Princess and Duke - which were identical to the Schröder-advertised hornless phonographs. In a March, 1909, ad in the Calgary Herald newspaper, the Schröder hornless phonograph was described as being "Made in Canada". This was likely manufactured in Berlin, Ontario by Arthur Pollock who was selling the exact same machine, at the same time, also in western Canada, labelled the Pollock Cabinet Talking Machine.
Talking Machine World, June 1907, p. 29 and 51. By June, 1907, Schröder advertised for investors on the eve of manufacturing two hornless machines, one disc, the other cylinder and placing them on the market in the United States.
Talking Machine World, January 1909, p. 58. By January, 1909, he advertised for wholesale agents in every U.S. state to carry the "Schröder Hornless Disc Phonograph".
Talking Machine World, February 1910, p. 17. In 1910, the Victor Talking Machine Company secured an injunction against the Schröder Hornless Phonograph Manufacturing Company for use of the so-called "mechanical feed" device. However, Schröder persisted and was still marketing his product in the United States in 1912. As late as 1922, Schröder received patent no. 1,395,602 regarding improvements to the resonance chamber of the internal horn.
Beginning in late 1908, the Schröder hornless phonograph was advertised in newspapers in western Canada. The Master's Piano Company, 236 Jasper Ave. West had the exclusive agency in Edmonton, Alberta while the Winnipeg branch of the Nordheimer Piano and Music Co., Ltd, 313 Portage Ave. was the exclusive agent for Manitoba.
 Edmonton Saturday News, December 26, 1908, p. 8 |
 Manitoba Morning Free Press, July 10, 1909, p. 9 |
Identical hornless phonographs advertised in two Alberta newspapers in mid-March, 1909, one labelled Schröder, the other labelled Pollock. The ad for the Schröder phonograph describes it as "Made in Canada". Both were likely made in Berlin, Ontario by the Pollock Manufacturing Company.
 Calgary Herald, March 19, 1909, p. 5 |
 Edmonton Saturday News, March 13, 1909, p. 2 |