Francis Barraud 1856 – 1924 “The whole world saw it and succumbed to its charm” -Alfred Clark comments on the painting Name: Francis Barraud Born: June 16, 1856 Resident: Born in London Occupation: Artist, Painter, stray dog lover Loves: Painting, animals Francis James Barraud was born into a family ofContinue reading “Recording Pioneers- Part 5”
Tag Archives: alfred clark
Friday Mystery Object # 2 Answer
Congratulations to Russell Medcraft who not only knew the correct answer but supplied the Hound with a fascinating piece of information on lasts week’s Mystery Object of the Week! For Hound followers who may have missed Russell’s original answer read below: “Alfred Clark was the first EMI Chairman. He had worked with Eldridge Johnson onContinue reading “Friday Mystery Object # 2 Answer”
Recording Pioneers- Part 2
Alfred Clark 1873 – 1950 “The fine thread running through the very fabric of HMV history” -Fred Gaisberg Name: Alfred Clark Born: 19 December 1873 Resident: Born in New York, moved to France 1899 aged 26 then resident of the UK, 1909 -1950 Occupation: Gramophone Company Managing Director, Chairman and EMI PresidentContinue reading “Recording Pioneers- Part 2”
The Paris Match: Gaisberg and Clarke make discs and cylinders side by side in 1899
Gaisberg’s first continental recording trip with William Sinkler Darby had begun in Leipzig in May 1899, where Thomas Birnbaum the Managing Director of the German Gramophone Company, joined them to travel to Budapest, Vienna and ultimately the dazzling musical city of Milan. The trip had been a mixed bag; lots of fun, some successses butContinue reading “The Paris Match: Gaisberg and Clarke make discs and cylinders side by side in 1899”
Recording pianists, gypsies and tenors…in Leipzig, Budapest and Vienna
Fred Gaisberg and side-kick William Sinkler Darby were sent from London to the Continent to make more recordings for the Gramophone Company in 1899. The new Gramophone technology was in great demand and the company was struggling to keep up with it. The company had established a new disc manufacturing plant in Hanover that wasContinue reading “Recording pianists, gypsies and tenors…in Leipzig, Budapest and Vienna”
Rivalry and co-operation
We’ve seen that Alfred Clark left Berliner’s employ in favour of Edison and moved to Paris to set up a rival to the Gramophone Company in Europe. This put the two old friends, Alfred Clark and Fred Gaisberg, in direct competition for new recordings in 1899. Clark, pictured above, proved to be a canny businessman.Continue reading “Rivalry and co-operation”
The first music industry format war hots up: cylinders v discs
(This blog entry is a bit of a catch up in the story of the Gramophone Company…..) In 1899, Alfred Clark left Emile Berliner’s employment and went back to working for Thomas Edison’s rival business which sold cylinders rather than discs. Clark, you may remember had set up the world’s first record (disc) shop inContinue reading “The first music industry format war hots up: cylinders v discs”
Art Deco loveliness: The Marconiphone
The Marconiphone was a brand of radios that were originally developed by the Marconi Company in the UK from 1923. The brand was sold to the Gramophone Company in 1929 as that company diversified into wireless technology. The Gramophone Company became EMI in 1931 and continued to make Marconiphone Radios until 1956. This blog entryContinue reading “Art Deco loveliness: The Marconiphone”
The main problem with starting new businesses…
…is getting all the ducks in a row. The early recording business proved no different. Emile Berliner decided to set up his European disc pressing factory in Germany rather than England in 1898. In doing so he created the German Gramophone Company – aka Deutsche Grammophon (DG). Berliner’s European operations were therefore split in two.Continue reading “The main problem with starting new businesses…”
“Stop Yer Tickling Jock”: The great Scottish singing swindle – Russell Hunting day #5
This is the final part of a five-day series of blog entries about Russell Hunting, a maverick who was involved at the start of the very start of the record business when its pioneers were searching to find the best business model to capitalise on the new sound-recording and playback technology. Hunting tried all sortsContinue reading ““Stop Yer Tickling Jock”: The great Scottish singing swindle – Russell Hunting day #5″
Sound Of The Hound 