Music recorded in August 1898
In August 1898, the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain signed a protocol in Washington outlining the terms of the armistice during the Spanish-American War, marking a cessation of hostilities. In the Pacific, the Spanish garrison surrendered at the Battle of Manila, and the United States occupied Manila. On the 12th, a ceremony marking the transfer of sovereignty for the Annexation of Hawaii was held, renewing Pacific strategy and trade assumptions. In Europe, Hubert-Joseph Henry (1846–1898), who confessed to fabricating evidence in the Dreyfus affair, committed suicide in prison on August 31, 1898, sharpening political and public tensions. In science, the discovery of 433 Eros on August 13, 1898, marked a significant milestone in the history of near-Earth asteroid research. In industry, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was founded on August 29, 1898, symbolizing the expansion of the modern rubber industry. In East Asia, the Qing dynasty's Hundred Days' Reform took place between June 11 and September 21, 1898, with a series of reform edicts continuing into August.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information on recordings made in August 1898
When it comes to recordings made in August 1898, some sources only specify the year and month (August), while others indicate the date and location. Below, we will organize recording topics that are clearly dated to August 1898, focusing on information from the Discography of American Historical Recordings published by the University of California, Santa Barbara Library.
Cal Stewart's Comic Monologue (August 1898)
In the matrix listing for the Discography of American Historical Recordings, we can see entries such as Cal Stewart's (1856–1919) comic monologue "A talk, no. 3," which is listed as having been recorded in August 1898. Because the dates are listed by month, it is not possible to determine an exact date, but this provides a clue that spoken word recordings were being produced continuously during the same period.
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/index?Matrix%5BAudio%5D=1&Matrix%5BCompany%5D=Berliner&Matrix_sort=MatrixNumberNum.desc
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal_Stewart
Date of recording of "Take your clothes and go" (August 1898)
Similarly, in the matrix listing for the Discography of American Historical Recordings, we can see that the male vocal solo "Take your clothes and go" by John Terrell (date of birth and death unknown) is listed as having been recorded in August 1898. In the matrix details (separate page), there are also examples where the recording date is listed as being between August 1898 and March 1899, so it is important to note that even for the same title, the degree of certainty on the part of the sources varies.
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/index?Matrix%5BCompany%5D=&Matrix%5BDateGroup%5D=&Matrix%5BLanguage%5D=&Matrix%5BMainTalentDisplay%5D=&Matrix%5BMatrixSeries%5D=&Matrix%5BRecordingSeries%5D=&Matrix%5BType%5D=&Matrix%5BhasAudio%5D=1&Matrix_page=2&Matrix_sort=FirstTakeDate
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/refer/2000149380
Claim to start using the name Zonophone (August 11, 1898)
The explanatory materials in the Discography of American Historical Recordings state that the Universal Talking Machine Company claimed that the name "Zonophone," which does not include a hyphen in its trademark application, began use on August 11, 1898. However, the same materials also mention the possibility that the name may have already been used in an advertisement by the National Gramophone Company (dated February 24, 1898), so it is safe to treat "August 11, 1898" as a claim made by a specific party, rather than a confirmed "first appearance date."
- https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/resources/detail/403
- https://www.loc.gov/collections/emile-berliner-and-the-berliner-gramophone/about-this-collection/
