Early Interesting 2-Sided Disc Records

[phonogfp]

In the course of posting one of the "On This Day in Phonographic History..." on the APS Facebook Group, I showed a 1904 American Record from the short-lived double-faced series.  There was a nice response, so I decided to post that video, along with a few others here, where they can be easily and permanently accessed.

 

In 1975 an article appeared in The Antique Phonograph Monthly describing some newly-discovered double-sided Berliners; apparently test-pressings made in the summer of 1900.  I wish I had one to show here, but APS members can access that publication in the online Library.  The title of the article was "Seeing Double."

 

Shortly after the Berliner test pressings (late 1900/1901), Zonophone was experimenting with double-sided records too.  Here is a double-sided 7-inch Zonophone from the National Gramophone Corp. period.  On one side is J 9162, The Holy City, by Ed. Franklin (actually Emilio de Gogorza).  The other side features, oddly enough, A 9593, Holy City, Trumpet Solo by Emil Keneke.

 

 

Sometime in 1902 - 1903, Victor made this double-sided test of Russell Hunting (who never recorded any issued Victor records).  On one side (3230-R) Hunting performs Michael Casey as an Insurance Agent.  On the other (3228-R) Hunting performs Michael Casey Courting His Girl.   

 

 

I'll show two double-sided discs that were issued in 1904 in the next posting below.

 

George P.

[phonogfp]

Here is an issued Columbia double-sided record from 1904.  It's interesting that Columbia briefly initiated this format 4 years before fully embracing it in 1908 - - forcing Victor to reluctantly follow suit.  On one side of this 1904 disc (catalog #1828), the Columbia Band performs the Nature's Warblers Waltz, Part 1.  The other side sensibly features the same performers playing the Natures Warblers Waltz, Part 2. 

 

 

Finally, here is the 1904 American Record that, like the Columbia, was marketed only briefly that year:

 

 

George P.

 

[melvind]

Really great fun to see these. I was not aware of them. Thanks!

[phonogfp]

You're welcome, Dan.  The Zonophone and the Victor Monarch aren't really supposed to exist!

 

George P.

[Neilvanstem]

Great to see. Thanks for the post. Wish I had some of these in my collection. But this is the next best thing. That is to see them here. Thanks. Neil

[phonogfp]

You're very welcome, Neil.  I've had some of these oddballs for over 30 years, and always wondered how I might write an article about them with illustrations to do them justice.  I think a video clip accomplishes that better than a couple of static images, so now I'm happy to share them.

 

George P.

[phonogfp]

Our good friend Rod Pickett pointed out to me that:

·         Petit is generally credited with double-sided records and patent (filed Jan. 7, 1901, and granted Jan. 5, 1904).

·         But...the discovery of 1900 Berliner double-sided records in 1975  indicates the existance of double-sided prior to 1901.  The subsequent realization in 1985 that Eldridge Johnson was including a double-sided record with the "Toy" gramophone (see Antique Phonograph Monthly article titled, "The Johnson 'Toy' Record.") shows that 2-sided discs actually had reached the marketplace by 1900.

·         An APS Search for the "Petit patent" showed The New Amberola Graphic_Newsletter 99.pdf  which contained a description of the Petit 1901 double-sided patent, but also highlighted the Joseph E. Wassenich (Chicago) patent, filed June 29, 1891, for a double-sided tablet, and opined how that was missed in the patent filing.  Did Petit know about it?  Was the U.S. Patent examiner in cahoots?

 

It certainly is curious how the concept was envisioned and patented 10 years earlier than Petit.

 

George P.