1900's (1907?) Special Columbia Graphophone Company 78RPM 10 inch "Advertising" Record

I LIVE for records like this! Its a promotional / advertising record by Columbia Graphophone Company showing off their awesome sound. It can be seen in my video '78RPM record haul' linked below, at about the 3:30 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb_yyp9gZn4

I do not know of its year yet, but since they are promoting 'double sided discs', I think it can be placed about 1907 as the double sided disc began in 1908, according to this site:

http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Columbia_Graphophone_Company/

The stamped matrix numbers are under the label, but appear to be '64' on the innermost area, and '32030-10' a little farther out.

I just love it. This is the type of record I just love to find, Because it was never intended to survive a hundred years. It was a test-record, One you bought for a quarter and threw out a few years later.

I will type out what the label says, as seen in the intial close ups. Sorry if the song is hard to hear, It simply is a tired quiet old record. Even after thorough cleaning, this is the best sound I could get.

In the white box, it says "Columbia Double-Disc Records will play on all standard makes of disc talking machines"

Then the gold on black writing says:

This Special Columbia Record is sold at the price of .25 cents -solely as a sample of recording- for advertising purposes exclusively. The regular standard price of Columbia Records (10 inch) is 65c, and they are -double-discs-; That is, There is a record on each side of the disc. Other Columbia Double-Disc records range in price up to $7.50 and include a magnificent series of Grand Opera records by the worlds greatest artists, a majority of whom make records especially for the Columbia Company'.

It then lists about two dozen songs titles available on Columbia.

When I flip the record, You will see the label reads 'Special Columbia Advertising Record - Special Price for Advertising Purposes Only' and will then hear the song 'Good Night, Little Girl, Good Night' sung by Henry Burr.

this is a Columbia Graphophone (not graMophone) company record, which lists a series of patents but no actual release year. The last patent is Nov 30, 1909.

It is being played on my 1957 zenith.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• advertising
• vintage
• record
• columbia
• graphophone
• gramophone
• 78RPM

[plague566]

Thank you for uploading this video, I used this in a presentation I made about Columbia Records.

[78Revolutions]

@plague566 Right on! Super cool, Thanks for sharing that with me. Glad to know that sometimes these can be useful. I could have recorded it directly to MP3 for better sound if you needed it ..

[LHUPA]

This Columbia advertising record perhaps represents the Columbia Home Record Club at its beginings (Remark, I can be wrong!) if it had begun in this era! Very good collector's artifact!

[78Revolutions]

@LHUPA Nah. Im quite certain it is simply an advertising piece, promoting their new double sided records. A neat item indeed. To think that a twi sided record was a big deal at one point in time.

[rastAsia]

Those records you have are just pure priceless! Is that tonal arm a standard on Columbia graphophones?? It looks pristine.. so well kept. Thx for sharing!

[78Revolutions]

@rastAsia Thanks....its not a Columbia player, Its a Zenith...and its called a "Cobra-Matic", thus the snake-shaped tone arm. Pretty neat.

[chasityin]

i have several of these records, trying to find someone interested in buying them. Going to post on EBay in the next few days. Anyone interested in buying them, send me an email.

[takeshitapart]

@78Revolutions Wow, It's nice to see people that are so polite on youtube :)

[gerryu21220]

I have this record, and one source said it was from 1913.

[wdharvey1]

@paulj0557 I say that music is for the collector to share...I have many old 45 rpm records and many 12" albums. I don't copy them to MP3, nor do I record them for anyone else. But, for these people to share their vinyl music via the internet the way they do, I appreciate it very much. The "snap, crackle, and pop" and the sound of the equipment itself gives way to a warmer sound, a much more comforting sound. thanks to the guy shareing this with us!

[wdharvey1]

@78Revolutions Oh, lord...WHY would you recorded it to MP3? and for GODS sake, don't you think he could have done the same thing? I could have done it as well...and since it's here on youtube, don't you think we could have ALL done it? crap, man.....we don't WANT the "better sound"...we want THE sound of THE ORIGINAL RECORDING, of PURE vinyl, the warmth, the tubes, etc...don't insult our ears with that crap!

[dancebandleader]

@paulj0557 I sympathize with your view. But the problem

appears to more with SONG copyrights, than with recording

artists themselves. as you may know all popular songs

prior to 1923 are now in public domain, at least in the USA

that's small consolation, but at least that's one "safe" type

of material.