The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1913)

42 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. FROM OUR LONDON HEADQUARTERS — (Continued from page 41). their local music hall. This, the first attempt of its kind, proved sufficiently attractive to warrant repetition elsewhere. To say, too, that it was the most popular item on the bill is but to give scant idea of the genuine delight of the audience, whose reception of so novel a turn was distinctly enthusiastic. In a nutshell, the scheme was this — any member of the audience could compete and they were invited to record either vocally or intrumentally. The management offered three prizes — £5, £3 and £2 — in order of merit for the best attempts. In the semi-final on the last night the adjudicators found themselves in a little difficulty, having regard to the number of really good records made. Finally ten were selected and there was so little to choose between their different efforts that after awarding the three prizes, it was was decided to give consolation prizes of 10s. each to the remainder, and this arrangement gave general satisfaction. The list of prize winners and their chosen piece is as follows : First prize, £5 — L. Dyke (descriptive vocalist), "Ten Dirty Little Fingers." Second prize, £3 — H. Rule (ragtime comedian), "The Gaby Glide." Third prize, £2 — Miss Parkinson (ragtime comedienne), "Snookey Ookums." Seven consolation prizes of 10s. each — Mr. Clark (cornet solo), "Levy-Athen Polka"; Mr. Jones (mouth organ solo), a medley of airs; T. Keyes (baritone solo), "Thora"; Mr. Spencer (cornet solo), "Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes"; G. Cairnes (mouth organ solo), a medley of airs; T. Bennett (comedian), "Any Old Iron"; St. Mary's Bugle Band, selection of army calls. Your correspondent took advantage of the Edison Co.'s invitation to visit the performance and thoroughly enjoyed it. Many of the contestants were obviously, and perhaps naturally, nervous under the circumstances, despite the presence of that favorite comedian, Jack Charman, who opened the proceedings by demonstrating how apparently easy it is to make a record. But in this latter regard many were surprised to find that recording is somewhat deceptive, as witness the reproduced wails of certain fortissimo passages of those competitors who dodged back either too suddenly or too cjuickly from the mouth of the recording horn. But, generally speaking, a remarkable degree of excellence, all things considered, was obtained, and it was evident that the faithful reproduction of the various selections made a great impression on those present. Considerable amusement was occasioned by, the" appearance of some competitors in "make-up," one especially creating great laughter when he came on to sing a coster song accompanied by a dummy baby. The Edison Co.'s arrangements were perfect and they merit congratulation upon the success of so unique a scheme for popularizing home-recording and the phonograph generally. Let us hope the local dealers will rise to the occasion. Edison at Public Sports. A great attraction at the Shepherd's Bush Football Club sports and fete day proceedings was the presence of an Edison phonograph and recording outfit. In full view of the audience the opportunity was afforded of having one's voice "photographed" for the small sum of threepence. Arranged in two compartments an Edison kiosk, effectively decorated, was fitted up, and this provision obviated interference with the recording proceedings while a selection of Blue Amberols was being demonstrated, each in separate rooms. H. D. Pride, of the Edison Co., made a record declaring the competition open, and this proved the signal for many entrants. Altogether fifty-eight competitors tried their luck and several enthusiasts had to be turned away. The songs, recitations, duets, speeches, etc.. were voted excellent and some difficulty arose in adjudicating, but this was finally overcome by popular vote in favor of four winners. The Blue Amberol program was highly appreciated, encores were many and one record, "The Rosary," by Elizabeth Spencer, had to be played five times in succession. Undoubtedly the Edison kiosk was the most popular item •on the program of the day's proceedings and with out question the recording competition took on greatly, for it provided comedy, drama and interest in such a way that the recording room was continually besieged, an appreciation which surely speaks for itself. It suggests an excellent scheme for dealers who would take advantage of local affairs of this nature to stimulate and widen their sales field. Praises Columbia Rena Recording. Miss Nella Webb, the famous American comedienne, who will be remembered for her charming performances in London (at the Tivoli) and the chief provincial centers, has been "starring" with our Australian cousins, and during her stay in Adelaide dropped in, without disclosing her identity, at the establishment of Messrs. Cornell & Son to hear her records. The first intimation as to who she was came to Messrs. Cornell in the following letter : "Dear Sir — While having a few spare moments the other afternoon I went in to hear some of my own records, the first I've heard since leaving London, and I must tell you the Columbia Rena Co. has surpassed in the art of reproduction. Trusting others will enjoy them as much, "Yours faithfully, Nella Webb." Noted Artists Heard. At the first concert recital of the incomparable Emmy Destinn, who has probably appeared at Covent Garden this season more often than any other prima donna (a sure sign of public appreciation), the tenor soloist was Morgan Kingston. The two artists (with Dinli Gilly) also sang together in the trio from "Faust." Both Mine. Destinn and Mr. Kingston are exclusive Columbia artists. / Columbia Doings. Stanley Kirkby is represented on this month's Columbia Rena records by six selections. Among them we observe "Dance Your Troubles Away" and "Everybody's Doing It at the Seaside." Worthy of mention, too, are the following: Twelve-inch. — "With Verdure Clad," from "The Creation" (Haydn), and "The Holy City" (Stephen Adams), Walter Lawrence, boy soprano; "Three Fishers Went Sailing" (John Hullah) and "Husheen" (Alicia Adelaide Needham), Miss Carrie Herwin. Ten-inch. — "The Dancing Mistress," Parts I. and II. (L. Monckton), Band of H. M. Scots Guards; "The Ballroom" (humorous story) and "Rosie" (talking), Mike S. Whallen; "Who Are You with To-night?" (Van Alstyne) and "Everybody's Doing It at the Seaside" (Kenneth Lyle and Bert Lee), Stanley Kirkby. The ragtime features on each succeeding Columbia Rena list show no signs of falling off, for the new supplement contains no less than seven new ragtime selections, including "On the Mississippi" as a band selection and also as a duet, by Collins and Harlan, and "Snooky Ookums," by the latter also. Special mention should also be made of Hedges Bros. & Jacobson's great number, "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine." Two numbers from the gorgeous London Opera House Revue, "Come Over Here," figure on Columbia Rena this month, to wit, "My Sumurun Girl" and "Take Me in Your Arms and Say You Love Me." The ninth record in the Columbia Rena "Vocal Gems" series, issued this month, takes the form of vocal excerpts from the Savoy opera "Patience," all the best known numbers having been drawn upon and included. Another novelty of the month provided by Columbia-Rena is the first record by Mike S. Whallen, the popular reconteur. The famous Court Symphony Orchestra of the Columbia Co. contributes a particularly striking twelve-inch double-record this month of two dainty examples of the classics — the Nocturne from Mendelssohn's' incidental music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Massenet's "Scenes Pittoresques." VALDEMAR POULSON SEEKS EXTENSION OF PATENT Inventor of Method for Recording Speech or Signals by Means of a Magnet and a Magnetized Wire Appeals to British Courts for Lengthened Period of 'Protection. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) London, England, August 6. — An important application under the Patents and Designs Act, 1907, was heard by Mr. Justice Warrington last month. The applicants were the Telegraphone Corporation, Ltd., U. S. A., and on their behalf H. A. Colefax, K.C., stated the main arguments for the prolongation of letters patent No. 8,961, granted in 1899 to Valdemar Poulsen, of wireless telegraphy fame. The patent in question, said counsel, consisted of an apparatus for the storage of speech or signals by means of a magnet and magnetically influencing wire. He did not think there would be any difficulty in convincing the court that the in: vention was of a striking nature. Mr. Swinburne, the well-known expert, would be called by the petitioners, and he would prove that the invention was a very valuable one. It consisted in taking a wire or band of metal, and by means of electrical currents set up in speaking on to the wire, actuating the magnet both locally and crosswise and so magnetizing the steel band or wire in accordance with the current set up. It was possible to record and retain a record of the human voice in that way on a steel band and at a later period it could be reproduced with extraordinary clearness. Primarily the invention as described in the specification was intended to indicate that as the scope of the invention. As instances of uses the patentee had indicated a telephone conversation. Suppose someone spoke over the telephone while the person who should receive the message was out — that message could be recorded. Again, if a person spoke into the telephone that he would be back at 11.30, any person ringing up would get that message. From the commercial standpoint the greatest future for the invention was for such machines as dictating machines. The original invention had been perfected by two machines, one of which was the product of the Danes and the other of the Americans, and in each of them, ir stead of having a cylinder, or even a band of metal, you had a piano wire of considerable length. When a record was made the spools of wire could be taken away and put in a similar machine. That was simply the working out in detail of the original invention, in order to make it a practical commercial proposition. There had been subsequent patents, but most of them were concerned with a type of machine upon which a good deal of time and money had been spent, but which as yet had not been very successful, viz., the disc machine. The idea of that was the magnetization of a cylinder and a disc locally and crosswise, as in the invention under consideration. Beyond the disc machine there were one or two developments. Taking the piano wire, which would run for thirty minutes, it was advantageous to be able to indicate where on the wire a particular record started, and also to be speaking in one room and have the record in another room. There was one patent concerned with that, but it did not touch fundamentally the principle of Mr. Poulsen's invention. His Lordship. — I notice that the patent expired on April 28 last? Mr. Colefax. — Yes, but our petition was presented before its expiration. We have done all we could to get the petition on, but unfortunate circumstances have prevented that being done. Sir John Simon, K.C. (Solicitor General), who, with Austen Cartmell, appeared for the Board of Trade, said he did not think the fact that the petition was being heard after the patent expired really mattered. At any rate, he made no point of it, and did not suggest that it was any objection in itself. It might involve inconveniences to the patentee. Mr. Colefax then proceeded to read and deal with Section 18 of the Act of 1907, under which the petition was presented, and the specification of the patent. Briefly stated, the object of the invention was obtained by subjecting a magnetizable bar of steel wire to the action of an electrical magnet,