The Hound would like to thank Mr Tony Locantro for sending these rare images of one of the first recording artists for the Gramophone Company, Miss Syria Lamonte.
By Tony Locantro
The Australian soprano Syria Lamonte was probably the first woman to be commercially recorded outside of the USA and history does her a great disservice by remembering her as a waitress at Rule’s Restaurant ‘with aspirations to be a singer’ as I saw quoted recently. She had already been successful in Australia in the theatre singing in operettas and giving concerts during the 1890s before coming to Europe to further her career and was apparently working at Rule’s in 1898 while seeking work in London. She eventually went on to appear successfully for several years on the music halls both in England and abroad before returning to Australia.
Listen to Syria Lamonte ‘Gaisberg’s Travels #2
Sound Of The Hound 