Music recorded in July 1898
On July 1, 1898, under a treaty signed with the Qing dynasty, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland leased Weihaiwei. On July 2, the Trili earthquake occurred in Austria-Hungary (now the Republic of Croatia), causing extensive damage to homes and churches. On July 3, the Battle of Santiago de Cuba occurred during the Spanish-American War, destroying the Kingdom of Spain's fleet. On July 7, William McKinley (1843–1901) signed a joint resolution of the United States Congress, annexing the Hawaiian Islands of the Republic of Hawaii to the United States of America. On July 10, a French Republic expedition reached Fashoda in the upper Nile River basin, creating tensions that would later develop into international issues. The July 16 issue of Scientific American featured a feature on new patented inventions and reported on trends in industrial technology. On July 18, Marie Curie (1867–1934) and Pierre Curie (1859–1906) announced the discovery of polonium. On July 25, United States troops landed in Puerto Rico as part of the Spanish–American War, and the following day, on July 26, the Kingdom of Spain proposed peace talks aimed at a ceasefire.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information on recordings made in July 1898
There are not many publicly available documents related to recording that can be dated specifically to July 1898. However, trade papers from that time contain a collection of advertisements and product announcements for phonographs, records (cylinder recordings), and related entertainment content, which allow us to specifically trace market interest and supply-side movements for that month.
The gramophone business as seen in The Phonoscope (July 1898 issue)
The July 1898 issue of The Phonoscope not only advertised the sale of phonographs themselves, but also carried advertisements for several companies supplying cylinder recordings (so-called "original records"). The advertising pages provide a glimpse into the actual state of distribution and retail at the time.
War-themed entertainment content and industry publications
The issue contains advertisements for "war spectacle" content (such as war films for projection) evocative of the Spanish-American War. Furthermore, the Library of Congress's catalog entry confirms that projection films related to Thomas Edison (1847–1931) were produced and distributed during the same period.
- https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Phonoscope/The-Phonoscope-1898-07.pdf
- https://www.loc.gov/item/98501077/
Columbia Graphophone Equipment Announcement
The July 1898 issue of The Phonoscope contains product advertisements for Columbia Graphophone, including announcements of spring-loaded motor machines and price revisions. This material shows that the company was not only supplying recording media, but also improving playback equipment and implementing pricing policies in tandem.
Examples of wartime cylinder recordings from around 1898–1900
The University of California, Santa Barbara Library Cylinder Audio Archive contains cylinder recordings with titles about the battleships USS Oregon and Santiago that are registered as having release dates between 1898 and 1900 (although it cannot be determined with certainty that they were recorded in the same month, the titles suggest that they were likely consumed in a context close to the war situation in July 1898).
- https://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/detail.php?query=990040847470203776&query_type=mms_id
- https://latinpop.fiu.edu/usdiscography.html
