Music recorded in August 1890
In August 1890, the aftermath of the "Revolution of the Park" in Argentina spread to the resignation of President Miguel Juárez Selman, and in the United States, the connection between electricity technology and state power became visible with the execution of William Kemmler in the electric chair in New York State. Meanwhile, the Treaty of London was signed between Britain and Portugal on August 20th. The borders of African colonies (such as Angola and Mozambique) were drawn around the Port of London. In southern Africa, construction of Fort Victoria (now Masvingo) progressed as a front line for British expansion. Furthermore, in Suriname, Javanese contract laborers began arriving on August 9th, symbolizing a global reorganization of migrant labor. A shipping strike broke out in Australia in mid-August, sparking solidarity actions that spread to New Zealand. In Brazil, the São Paulo Stock Exchange (Bolsa Libri) was founded on August 23rd, accelerating the institutionalization of capital markets. In European diplomacy, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Alexander III of Russia met in Narva. This was a month in which the "wiring diagram of modern times" was boldly redrawn, with simultaneous developments in the fields of justice, colonies, immigration, labor, finance, and diplomacy.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information on recordings made in August 1890
August 1890 was a month of transition when electrical, communication, and acoustic technologies were becoming increasingly practical, allowing for long-distance transmission and repeated listening, while sound recording itself was still in a stage where it was difficult to leave a date.
Many of the recording events in August 1890 are unclear in terms of the actual recording dates, and are often described collectively as "around summer 1890." Here, we have selected recordings, technology, exhibitions, and applications that can be clearly dated to "August" in primary sources and documents from that time, and placed them in the context of recording history.
"Light Brigade" bugle recording in London (1890-08-02)
There is a confirmed example of a recording made on an Edison-style brown wax cylinder of the trumpeter Landfreid's (date of birth and death unknown) rendition of "Charge of the Light Brigade" on August 2, 1890. As an early example of a type of record that "preserved the sound of an event or performance on the spot," this is a reliably dated document that is suitable for organizing by month.
*Recording labels are distributed under the name "Trumpeter Landfrey"
Telephone music broadcast from the Edinburgh International Exhibition (early August 1890)
The document describes how telephone company engineers set up microphones and other equipment in early August 1890, and how music was broadcast over the network at night. While not a recording per se, it is an important document on the "listening culture" that paralleled the contemporary reception of the phonograph (recording and listening/having others listen to it), in that it established the experience of "distributing sound via equipment and lines" for the public.
https://contextjournal.music.unimelb.edu.au/context/files/2019/08/44.05-Context.Kirby_.pdf
Plan for a phonograph demonstration for the Minneapolis Industrial Exposition (August 22, 1890)
A letter from Alfred Ord Tate (1863-1945) to the Edison Phonograph Works (August 22, 1890) discusses a demonstration and lecture at the exposition and the operation of the cylinder phonograph. There is also a reference to Adelbert Theodor Edward Wangemann (1855-1906) in the text metadata.
Edison's application for an improvement to the phonograph feed mechanism (August 12, 1890)
Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) filed an application on August 12, 1890 (Serial No. 361,775) for improvements to the feed mechanism (bearing block, etc.) that ensures stable movement of the recording and playback head on the cylinder. The text of this type of patent reveals that even before mass-produced recording, mechanical reliability for "accurately carving/tracing the same groove" was an important issue.
https://edison.rutgers.edu/images/patents/00456302.PDF
Application for the idea of a phonograph with integrated register (for commercial use) (1890-08-20)
The "Combined cash-register and phonograph" application filed on August 20, 1890, shows the idea of incorporating a phonograph into a device for "transactions and installed services." While not the actual act of recording, the fact that the design concept of "sound reproduction (cylinder) = something that can be incorporated into commercial operations" appeared in the patent document in August was a guidepost that led to coin-operated mechanization (the later world of jukeboxes).
Peripheral technology for electrical "sound handling": Sound transmission method (filed August 6, 1890)
"Transmitting sound," filed on August 6, 1890, is not a recording device, but as a patent for a method of electrically transmitting sound, it reflects the passion of the time for "controlling sound as an engineering subject." On the Recording History Month page, it serves as supporting evidence showing that the phonograph (recording) and the telephone (transmission) were closely related as "technologies for industrializing sound."
