Music recorded in November 1919
November 1919 was a month in which the reorganization of the post-World War I order progressed in various fields. In Britain, the Government Code and Cypher School was established on November 1, transferring the wartime code-breaking system to a peacetime national institution. On November 6, the Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical Society announced at a joint meeting that the results of observations of the May solar eclipse supported Albert Einstein's (1879–1955) theory of general relativity. In the Netherlands, Hanso Idzerda (1885–1944) began his regular public radio broadcast on November 6. In the United States, the first Armistice Day was observed on November 11, and on the 19th, the United States Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles. Furthermore, the first session of the International Labour Conference was held in Washington D.C. throughout the month, and on the 27th, the Peace Treaty with Bulgaria was signed in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information regarding the November 1919 recording.
According to primary sources from November 1919, the recording industry entered the year-end sales season by combining new releases with in-store demonstrations, promotions of universal playback mechanisms, home-use promotions, and demonstration events. Companies whose activities can be directly confirmed in the records from that month include Victor Talking Machine Co., Columbia Graphophone Co., Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., Pathé Frères Phonograph Company, The Aeolian Company's Vocalion, Thomas A. Edison, Inc., Sonora Phonograph Co., and Emerson Phonograph Co. At least in the public advertisements and sales materials released this month, each company strongly emphasized its regeneration capabilities and sales methods.
Victor
Regarding Victor Talking Machine Co., advertisements dated November 1st and October 31st, 1919, confirm a sales practice of demonstrating new Victor records in stores at the beginning of each month. The stores distributed booklets explaining the new releases and announced that they would play any requested track on the spot, indicating that the November sales promotion centered around demonstrating the new releases.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19191101.1.3
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=SBNT19191031.1.3
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19191031-01.1.12
Columbia
Regarding Columbia Graphophone Co., advertisements dated November 18th and 28th, 1919, confirm that sales of Columbia Grafoñora machines and the supply of new releases were being promoted in preparation for year-end demand. Advertisements from late November also prominently featured the name of Columbia's exclusive artist, Sascha Jacobsen (1895–1972), indicating that machine sales and record promotions were coordinated.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=RPD19191118.1.2
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=RPD19191128.1.3
- https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=tew19191107-01.1.17
Brunswick
In November 1919, Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. repeatedly promoted its "Ultona" and "Tone Amplifier" in its advertisements. Advertisements dated November 1st, 8th, and 22nd described the playback mechanism that enabled playback of other record labels and the wooden acoustic structure as a single feature, confirming that the company was focusing on playback compatibility as a key selling point that month.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=JCDC19191101.2.27.2
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=EVRP19191108.2.42.5
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=JCDC19191122.2.26.1
putty
Regarding Pathé Frères Phonograph Company, an advertisement dated November 6, 1919, prominently featured its network of 98 stores in Indiana, announcing that new Pathé records could be listened to at each location. At least in that month's public promotions, they were using their extensive network of retailers to encourage listening sessions.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19191106-01.1.26
- https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=tpj19191110-01.1.3
Vocalion
The Aeolian Company's Vocalion prominently featured its universal playback mechanism in its November 1919 advertisements. An advertisement dated November 7 claimed that the new tonearm could play "all standard records," and an advertisement dated November 21 treated it as a major product alongside Columbia products. An advertisement at the end of November also emphasized the superiority of the new universal mechanism, clearly indicating the sales strategy for that month.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=RPD19191107.1.3
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=RPD19191121.1.3
- https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=suna19191130-01.1.3
Edison
Thomas A. Edison, Inc. continued to promote the performance of its new Edison phonograph in its November 1919 advertisements. An advertisement dated November 7th advertised the new Edison phonograph as being in a class of its own compared to other models, and a November 24th advertisement featured a "demonstration and comparison of reproduced sound" using Frieda Hempel (1885–1955). Throughout that month, Edison continued to emphasize the superiority of its sound quality in its sales.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=LCT19191107.1.7
- https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=tew19191124-01.1.13
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19191113-01.1.7
Sonora
Advertisements for Sonora Phonograph Co. dated November 3, 5, 7, and 11, 1919, confirm its positioning as a home entertainment device and its compatibility with other manufacturers' records. The November 11 advertisement emphasized its ability to play any disc without additional equipment, and a series of advertisements in early November marketed it as a family-friendly form of home entertainment.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19191103.1.2
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19191105.1.5
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19191107.1.4
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=RPD19191111.1.2
Emerson
Emerson Phonograph Co., in late November 1919, jointly advertised "Monday Music Matinee" with Emerson International, Inc. The November 22nd, 24th, and 26th issues prominently featured live performances by popular musicians, confirming that the promotion for that month was linked not only to newspaper advertisements but also to live performances.
- https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=tew19191122-01.1.5
- https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=suna19191124-01.1.20
- https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=suna19191126-01.1.22
