The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

Vol. III. No. 9 THE PHONOSCOPE 11 The Concert Grand Phonograph is used to do the singing of illustrated songs in Newark, by The Original Exhibiting Company, and has met with great success at Black Prince Hall. The people complained that the orchestra did not play long enough, so the Phonograph was substituted to do the work, which met their entire satisfaction. It is said that there are now pending some .forty suits for infringement of talking-machine patents. The legal departments of some of the prominent companies must cost a considerable sum in the course of twelve months As all the broad patents on talking-machines expire in 1903, we anticipate some lively prices after that date. The genial Chas. H. Webster, formerly associated with the New England Phonograph Company, of Boston, The Vitascope Company and manager of the International Film Company, is now connected with the Film Department of the Edison Manufacturing Company, New York, where he will be pleased to meet his many old patrons. The National Phonograph Company have secured spacious quarters in New York City which is being fitted up as a laboratory for recording high-class operas for the Grand Phonograph. The rooms are without a doubt the cosiest and most artistically furnished in the talking-machine business and includes a reception room for the convenience of artists which is superb. Messrs. Harms, Kaiser & Hagen are now making records by a new process, which greatly excels those made heretofore. The fact that they are making a special feature this month of zither records should increase their orders to a great extent, as no collection is complete without one of them. Send in your orders and convince yourself as to the merits of these records. The Columbia Phonograph Company offer the latest talking-machine, a sort of toy Gramophone with small wax disks, on which the sound box travels from the center to the circumference instead of vica-versa as in the real Gramophone. Not having heard the machine we cannot venture an opinion as to its merits. It will sell for about $3.00 including five disks. The following changes in the personnel of the Columbia Phonograph Company have been made : Mr. W. E. Fisher, manager of the Baltimore office, is ordered to European service. Mr. James P. Bradt, assistant manager of the Philadelphia office, has been appointed manager of the Baltimore office. Mr. Cortland B. Shaw, of the Chicago office, has been appointed assistant manager of the Philadelphia office. A new use has been found for the Phonograph. Sir Redores Butler, the English General in Chief in command of the forces in South Africa, is using one in his campaign against the Boers, to study the "Raad Dutch" which is the language of these doughty burghers. We should think this faithful instrument would be sorely tried in attempting to catch some of the queer names of their country which we read in the dailypapers. H. H. Meyers, for years manager of the Ohio Graphophone Company, of Columbus, O., in June fold his birthright in the talking-machine business in Ohio. After three months' retirement he could not resist the fascinations of the business and has re-entered the work by opening the Columbia Graphophone Company, of Omaha, Neb. He has fitted up the largest and handsomest store in the Nothwest and the trade is showing its appreciation of an up-to-date stock by their liberal patronage. Jos. W. Stern & Company, have proved again their enterprise and their determination to serve musicians and the music trade in every possible way. Their latest departure is the introduction of the "Markstern" Brand Music Paper, a fine supply of best imported stock, perfect in ruling and finish and which is most popular in price. The new paper has the unqualified endorsement of George Rosey and other leading musicians. They invite orders for sample reams or any quantity of new paper. In a fire which occurred recently in this city, a great loss was suffered by a party who has made fame as the Sherlock Holmes of the talkingmachine business. A representative of this journal called after the fire and was shown a large quantity of fire scarred models of various duplicators, patterns for Phonographs and Graphophones, etc. The loss, however, will not be so keenly felt by the party in question, as we understand he always makes a "duplicate" of everything for protection against loss. Mr. F. Oscar Elmore, who has for many years been connected with the leading Phonograph Companies, enjoys an enviable reputation as a pianoist and organist. His records are correct and brilliant. He is organist for one of the leading churches of the State. He is now engaged by the Lyric Phonograph Company, where he is having great success with his organ records. Any one wishing a list of his selections can obtain same by applying to the above firm. Mr. Elmore will also make any special record to order. From rumors which have come to us it would appear that the parent wax cylinder companies anticipate the failure to longer control the duplicating of records. Several suits are now being fought strenuously with apparent success so far to the defendants. Neither the Orange nor the Bridgeport companies will now sell blanks in the United States unless they are guaranteed for export and they are shown the shipping documents to prove the shipments. By refusing to supply blanks in the United States can the companies alone hope to shut off the duplicating of the records other than in their own factories. Hawthorne & Sheble, horn manufacturers of Philadelphia, Pa., have just completed two of the largest horns ever made. Think of a horn measuring twenty feet in length, with a bell six feet in diameter. This enterprising firm received an order for two such horns, for the United States Government, to be used experimentally, as fog megaphones. They are used in conjunction with a steam siren and can be heard ten miles at sea. This firm is probably the only one in the United States with tools and equipment sufficient to fill such an unusual order. Considering how recently the business has developed, it speaks volumes for their push. The new talking-machine "The Vitaphone" is the latest. This machine is similar in construction to a Gramophone. The records are very attractive in appearance, being a rich red color, and their quality seems to be on a par with its prototype. As the patents on talking-machines expire one by one, the public undoubtedly will be treated to an epidemic of "Phones" and "Graphs" of all descriptions, sizes and kinds. We wonder if this machine is a forerunner of this approaching era. It seems to have a sponsor, however, as it has a tag conspicuously displayed that it is licensed under the patents of one of the prominent talking-machine companies. The Vitaphone, the latest flat disk machine, has already been notified by the Berliner Gramophone Company, that it is infringing their patents and must not be put on the market. As the United States Court of Appeals has decided that the Berliner Gramophone Company are the owners of the patents on which the Vitaphone Company claim to have a license from another Company, it would seem that the Vitaphone is sailing in rather shallow water. The red disks advertised by this Company are copies of regular Gramophone records and considering that they are quadruplicates from the original they are not half bad if all are as good as those our representative heard. We note that the names of the various talent employed by the Columbia Phonograph Company have been omitted in a recent catalogue issued by them. In the case of one prominent artist whom we have interviewed he informs us that the adoption of their new policy is a flagrant violation of the company's contract. Much unfavorable comment has been expressed in general. Perhaps the Columbia people do not realize the fact that they employ the best talent available in this particular branch of their business. This change in the catalogue creates a vast amount of dissatisfaction among them. Such names as Spencer, Gaskin, Quinn, Porter, Meyers, Cal Stewart, etc., have heretofore been featured in their printing matter. Mr. W. Barry Owen one of the principal stockholders of the London Gramophone Company, made a flying visit to America sailing for home on the "Majestic," November 21. Just before his departure Mr. Owen stated to our representative that the Edison Bell Consolidated Phonograph Company, who had started suit against this company sometime ago for alleged patent infringement, were now anxious to know how little the London Gramophone Company would accept for damages and the Edison Bell Consolidated Phonograph Company withdrew their suit. From the above it would appear so far that the owners of wax cylinder patents have been unable either in this country or Europe to invalidate the Gramophone patents. The Automatic Stereoscope Company, of New Haven, Conn., have placed upon the m trket several new slot machines. Their advertising in this issue indicates that they have met the demands of the trade by furnishing machines of all grades. They have the great advantage of being able to supply views from the negatives of the Stereo Cosmorama Companies and of course it is the quality and quanity of the views used in slot machines that constitute their value as moneyearners. Speaking of the Stereo Cosmorama, we understand that most of the Cosmorama Companies are shortly to be consolidated into a new company with a capital of $500,000. This does not include the foreign companies. The Cosmorama is manufactured in New Haven, Conn., and four of the present companies are incorporated in Connecticut. The American and British Cosmorama Company, capital, $100,000, is also incorporated under the laws of Connecticut. This company reports good business in England, especially in London, where their agents have several hundred machines in operation. The Cosmorama was the pioneer optical slot machine, having been in operation about seven years.