Music recorded in August 1913
August 1913 was a month marked by the simultaneous conclusion of war, labor disputes, changes in the education system, the visualization of the international order, and advances in metallurgical technology. The Treaty of Bucharest was signed on August 10, ending the Second Balkan War and significantly reshaping the political map of Southeast Europe. In Japan, Tohoku Imperial University announced its admission to female students on August 21, becoming the first imperial university to admit women. In Ireland, the Dublin Lockout began on August 26, ushering in a protracted conflict over urban labor and employment. The Peace Palace opened in The Hague on August 28, marking the concrete architectural manifestation of a symbolic center for international arbitration and international justice. Also in Sheffield on the 13th of the same month, Harry Brearley (1871–1948) successfully produced a prototype of high-chromium steel, marking an important milestone in materials technology that would later become known as stainless steel.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information on recordings made in August 1913
August 1913 was a month in the recording industry when new releases and new machine launches were launched simultaneously ahead of the autumn sales season. In the August 1913 issue of Edison Phonograph Monthly, Thomas A. Edison, Inc. promoted the Blue Amberol October List and the Amberola VI, and also linked the phonograph to public ceremonies and leisure activities. The Talking Machine World for the same month showed that Victor Talking Machine Co. and Columbia Graphophone Co. had already begun distribution of new releases and models for September release, confirming that companies were already working to capture autumn demand as early as August.
Edison
The August 1913 issue of Thomas A. Edison, Inc. not only announced new releases, but also promoted the expansion of the phonograph's uses. The issue cited the example of Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) playing a speech for Native Americans on Edison's disc phonograph, and claimed that three U.S. presidents, following Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) and William Howard Taft (1857–1930), had recorded their voices on Edison phonographs. The same issue also announced the October release of 100 Blue Amberol Records, highlighting five new recordings by Alessandro Bonci (1870–1940) as the highlights. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the new Umberola VI was marketed as a small, built-in horn type machine that could be used on motorboats and balconies, in an attempt to capture outdoor demand in the summer.
- https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Edison-Phonograph/Edison-Phonograph-Monthly-1913-Vol-11.pdf
- https://archive.org/details/edisonphonograph11moor
- https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Talking-Machine/10s/Talking-Machine-1913-08.pdf
Victor
The August 1913 issue of The Talking Machine World confirms that the Victor Talking Machine Co. was preparing for the fall season in terms of both machines and records. The issue announced the Victor XXV, priced at $60 for schools and music schools, and the new Victrola X, a mid-priced machine for home use, priced at $75. The September Record Bulletin was also published in the same issue, indicating that details of the next month's releases had already been distributed to the industry in August. Trade reports in San Francisco also reported strong interest in the improved $75 machine, indicating the company's emphasis on expanding into the mid-price market.
Columbia
The August 1913 issue also highlights the activities of Columbia Graphophone Co. The company prominently displayed its September releases, listing new releases, including Symphony Disc Records, for distribution in the fall. The Chicago Correspondence reported that July sales had surpassed the same month the previous year, and that the new $75 Leader Grafonola was generating additional orders almost daily, keeping factories busy. Furthermore, the same issue's sales network advertisement listed supply locations across the United States, confirming that by August the company was expanding its supply of new releases and mid-priced machines nationwide.
Boston Talking Machine
As for major distributors, the activities of the Boston Talking Machine Co. appeared in the San Francisco Correspondence of the same month. The article reported that the company's Little Wonder machines were expanding sales in California through Peter Bacigalupi & Sons. The article also noted that a special sales representative from the company had spent a period of time in the Western market promoting sales, confirming that as of August 1913 the company was continuing to expand sales through local agents. As far as can be seen from the documents for that month, the company's efforts to distribute finished products and strengthen sales were more prominent than the actual production of new records.
