Music recorded in May 1918

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Music recorded in May 1918

May 1918 was a month in which the course of World War I and the outline of the postwar order shifted simultaneously. On May 7, the Treaty of Bucharest was signed, in which Romania accepted heavy terms from the Central Powers. On the 15th, regular airmail service began in the United States between Washington, Philadelphia, and New York, fully integrating aviation technology into the communications system. On the 16th, the Sedition Act of 1918 was passed, further strengthening wartime censorship. Towards the end of the month, Georgia declared independence on May 26, and Azerbaijan and Armenia declared independence on May 28 in the Transcaucasus region, advancing the formation of new nations after the collapse of empires. Meanwhile, on the Western Front, the German army launched a major offensive in the Aisne area on May 27, and around the same time, clashes between the Czechoslovak Legion and the Bolsheviks in Siberia escalated, marking a new phase in the Russian Civil War.

Confirmed recordings this month: 0

Summary of information regarding the May 1918 recording.

In the recording industry in May 1918, new brands were being launched, new releases were being sold by existing labels, phonographs were being promoted, regional sales networks were being advertised, and small companies were being restructured all at once. Based on the documents available for that month, we can see the official announcement of Aeolian-Vocalion Records by Aeolian Co., the continued sales promotion by Columbia Graphophone Co. and Victor Talking Machine Co., the popularization of Pathé products, the expansion of Edison's sales network into Asia and Australia, advertising activities by Sonora Phonograph Co. and Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., and the restructuring of Paroquette Record Mfg. Co. The following is a list of companies and brands whose activities can be confirmed in advertisements, industry magazines, and newspaper articles dated May 1918.

Aeolian

Aeolian Co. officially announced the Aeolian-Vocalion Record in the May 15, 1918 issue of The Talking Machine World. In addition, an advertisement prominently featuring the Aeolian Vocalion can be found in the May 6 issue of the Indianapolis News, indicating that the new brand was launched and sales promotion was conducted concurrently that same month.

Columbia

Regarding Columbia Graphophone Co. products, several newspaper advertisements from May 1918 promote the sale of the Columbia Grafonola and Columbia Records. The May 1st issue of the South Bend News-Times features an advertisement for a Grafonola and record bundle, while the May 22nd issue of the Daily Tribune features an advertisement allowing readers to sample new Columbia Records using the Grafonola, indicating that the sales network was continuously active that month.

Victor

Regarding Victor Talking Machine Co., the May 1918 issue of "The Talking Machine World" features a new numerical catalog for May 1918, confirming product reorganization and distribution information updates within the month. Furthermore, the May 7th issue of "The Evening World" and the May 22nd issue of "Richmond Palladium" contain sales advertisements for Victor Records and Victrola, confirming the retail distribution for that month.

putty

Regarding products from Pathé Frères Phonograph Co., advertisements in The Sun dated May 19th and 26th, 1918, confirm a sales promotion for Pathé Phonographs linked to the purchase of Pathé Records. At least in the New York market in late May, a strong promotional campaign integrating the sale of records with the popularization of the machines was being emphasized.

John Little

John Little & Co., Ltd. placed an advertisement for Edison's Diamond Disc Phonograph in the May 2, 1918 issue of The Straits Times, announcing the arrival of new machines and records. This is direct evidence that there was new stock and sales activity of Edison products in Singapore that month.

Thomas A. Edison Limited

In Australia, a demonstration advertisement for Thomas A. Edison, Ltd. in Sydney can be found in The Register dated May 2, 1918. Furthermore, documents dated May 9 and 25 show sales of the Edison Diamond Disc Amberola by Phonograph and Typewriter Co., indicating that Edison products continued to be sold in Australia.

Sonora

Advertisements for Sonora Phonograph Co. can be found in the May 20, 1918 issue of the Richmond Palladium and the May 25, 1918 issue of The Argus. The advertisements emphasize sound quality and casing construction, indicating that sales promotion was taking place at least in the latter half of May.

Brunswick

An advertisement for the Brunswick Phonograph by Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. can be found in the May 17, 1918 issue of the Seattle Union Record. Based on what can be confirmed, promotional activities highlighting the product's features were conducted during that same month.

Parocket

A document dated May 15, 1918, shows that Paroquette Record Mfg. Co. had an asset sale advertisement, which included approximately 30,000 par-o-ket records, masters and mother matrices, and recording and manufacturing equipment. Therefore, based on the available documents, it is safest to conclude that the company was in a phase of business restructuring rather than expanding its regular sales as of May.

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