Music recorded in December 1890
In December 1890, urban modernization extended underground, with the City and South London Railway in the UK opening to the public on December 18, 1890, bringing a new sense of transportation—the electric deep underground—to everyday life. Meanwhile, in the United States, pressure on Native American communities reached a breaking point, with the Wounded Knee Massacre occurring in South Dakota on December 29, 1890, resulting in numerous deaths in clashes between the United States Army and the Lakota. In an era when telegraphs sped up long-distance news transmission and expanded urban noise and home entertainment, recording technology and reproduction media intensified the sense that the same sounds and events were being transported to different places, and the world simultaneously accelerated in speed and tension.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
5th (16 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Nickols March | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Irene Waltz | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| The Skirt Dance | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Coming Through The Rye & Var | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Senator Waltz | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Fortuna Waltz From Clover | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Romance & Air & Var. | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Melrose Yorke | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Andante | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Love's Dreamland | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Cavatina From Ernani | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Lenoara Waltz | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Introduction & Waltz From Clover | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Andante | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Aria & Variatioin | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
| Casino Waltz | Wm Tuson Ed Issler |
[Events of December 5, 1890]
- Letters relating to the Edison Phonograph Works (dated December 5, 1890)
A letter dated December 5, 1890, addressing financial and financing matters for the Edison Phonograph Works is included in the Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition. The letter is from John F. Randolph (date of birth and death unknown) to the Edison Phonograph Works, and mentions Samuel Insull (date of birth and death unknown).
・Hungarian Royal Opera House performance record ("Sinan Basha")
The database records that "Sinan Basa" was included in the program for the Royal Hungarian Opera House on December 5, 1890. It is listed as a gala performance (as documented).
6th (13 songs)
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| New York at Night March | Issler's Orchestra |
| Wiener Blut Waltz | Issler's Orchestra |
| Polka From Vienna To Berlin | Issler's Orchestra |
| Overture – Lebenslust | Issler's Orchestra |
| Vaudeville Gavotte | Issler's Orchestra |
| Eureka Overture | Issler's Orchestra |
| Quadrille | Issler's Orchestra |
| Redowa – Birds of Spring | Issler's Orchestra |
| Gondolier Waltz | Issler's Orchestra |
| Light As A Feat. Polka | Issler's Orchestra |
| Erminie – Selection | Issler's Orchestra |
| Elemoren Waltz | Issler's Orchestra |
| I Whistle & Wait For Katie | Issler's Orchestra |
[Events of December 6, 1890]
・The birth of Yoshio Nishina
In Japan, physicist Yoshio Nishina (1890–1951) was born in Satosho, Okayama Prefecture. Later, he was recognized as a leader in modern physics research in Japan, based at the RIKEN Institute.
The birth of Rudolf Schlichter
Painter, printmaker, and author Rudolf Schlichter (1890–1955) was born in the German Empire on December 6, 1890. In later years, Rudolf Schlichter would be referred to as one of the important proponents of the New Objectivity movement.
The Birth of Dion Fortune
Dion Fortune (1890–1946), a well-known writer and mystic, was born in England (her birth name was Violet Mary Firth).
In later years, Dion Fortune became widely referenced in writings on occultism and mysticism.
Summary of information on recordings made in December 1890
While there are only a limited number of cases in which individual recordings can be dated, December 1890 marks a period in the history of sound recording when a shift in business models began to directly impact the distribution and production of records. The North American Phonograph Company, which had a contractual relationship with the Automatic Phonograph Exhibition Company, which operated coin-operated exhibitions, announced a policy to sell its equipment to its affiliates in December 1890, and reportedly received an injunction against this. This shift from "rental" to "sale" simultaneously fostered demand for both home recording and listening experiences on the street or in stores, paving the way for the distribution of sound recordings as a commodity. Additionally, a memorandum dated December 19, 1890, in the name of Edward Denison Easton (1856–1915) from the Columbia Phonograph Company remains, providing a document of the company's operations for that month.
Automatic Phonograph Exhibition Company and North American Phonograph Company injunction
In December 1890, the Automatic Phonograph Exhibition Company sought and was granted a preliminary injunction against the North American Phonograph Company's attempt to encourage its affiliates to sell phonographs to the general public, citing infringement of contractual interests. At a time when coin-operated exhibitions and performances were the main source of revenue, the distribution policy for these devices directly influenced the supply and demand for sound recordings (music phonograms), and December 1890 marks the time when the struggle between the "development of listening devices" and the "handling of sound recordings" began to surface as legal proceedings.
Columbia Phonograph Company internal memorandum (December 19, 1890)
A memorandum from the Columbia Phonograph Company dated December 19, 1890, has been preserved, and is organized in relation to Edward Denison Easton (1856–1915). While it is not possible to determine the details of the recording site or the specific songs on offer from this document alone, it is an important primary source with a confirmed date, showing that recording, duplication, and operational procedures were being managed in written form as of the end of the 1890s.
Business Report of the Automatic Phonograph Exhibition Company (December 31, 1890)
A report dated December 31, 1890, was prepared under the name of the Automatic Phonograph Exhibition Company. The document's metadata identifies it as a sales and maintenance report, providing clues that the operation of coin-operated phonographs was inseparable from the placement and maintenance of the machines, as well as the continuous procurement of cylinders (sound recordings) required for playback. The mere existence of a report dated at the end of the month indicates that the recording and playback business was already established as a "daily operation" by December 1890.
- https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/D9052ABL
- https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/folder/D9052-F
