Music recorded in October 1913
October 1913 was a month in which new systems and technologies emerged visibly in the fields of politics, industry, transportation, and culture. In the United States, the Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act was enacted on October 3, setting in motion a new fiscal regime that included tariff reductions and the introduction of a federal income tax. In industry, Henry Ford (1863–1947) introduced a moving assembly line at his Highland Park, Michigan, plant in October, marking a major step forward in the mass production of automobiles. On October 10, the Gamboa Levee was blown up to connect Gatun Lake and the Culebra Cut during the construction of the Panama Canal. On the same day, October 10th, Yuan Shikai (1859–1916) was officially inaugurated as President of the Republic of China, and in Mexico, Victoriano Huerta (1850–1916) dissolved the House of Representatives, strengthening his dictatorial stance. On October 14th, a massive explosion occurred at Universal Colliery in Wales, resulting in one of the largest casualties in British coal mining history. Furthermore, on October 16th, George Bernard Shaw's (1856–1950) Pygmalion premiered in Vienna, creating a cultural event that will remain indelible in the future.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information on recordings made in October 1913
In October 1913, the recording industry was witnessing a simultaneous surge in new releases, nationwide advertising, and exhibitions at expositions and local events in time for the autumn sales season. The activities of major companies whose activities could be directly confirmed in primary sources and contemporary trade magazines for that month were Thomas A. Edison, Inc., Victor Talking Machine Co., and Columbia Graphophone Co., and while the movements of these three companies could be tracked on a monthly basis, it was not possible to find sufficient contemporaneous sources to link them to October 1913 for other companies.
Edison
The full-scale transition to disc products can be clearly seen in October 1913 at Thomas A. Edison, Inc. The 1913 index for Edison Phonograph Monthly lists "Edison Dia. Disc announced and described" and "Photos of all Dia. Disc machines" as October entries, indicating that announcements of Edison disc machines and related models were at the forefront that month. Furthermore, the same index lists the introduction of the Umbellora IV, VIII, and X as September entries, while also stating that "All horn type phonographs discontinued in October 1913!", indicating that October 1913 marked a turning point in sales, when the focus shifted from external horn phonographs to internal horn phonographs.
On the record side, the October releases of Blue Amberol continued to be supplied. In Allan Sutton's discography, records from 1932 to 1943 are listed as October 1913 releases, such as "When I want a little loving" (1932), "The trail of the lonesome pine — Medley two-step" (1939), and "There's a girl in the heart of Maryland" (1943). These were mostly recorded in New York in June 1913, indicating that Thomas A. Edison, Inc. was continuing to supply new cylinder records in October 1913, in parallel with the announcement of new models.
Additionally, the November issue's announcement stated that the new Bleu Amberol continuous catalog, Form 2449, was "issued up to and including October, 1913," and included not only domestic standard, concert, and grand opera recordings up to October 1913, but also multilingual series. This confirms that in October 1913, Thomas A. Edison, Inc. was simultaneously updating its machines, supplying new records, and compiling its catalog.
- https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Edison-Phonograph/Edison-Phonograph-Monthly-1913-Vol-11.pdf
- https://adp-assets.library.ucsb.edu/edison_4m-cyls.pdf
- https://mainspringpress.org/mainspring-press-free-online-discographies/
Victor
National advertisements and announcements of new releases from the Victor Talking Machine Co. in October 1913 can be seen directly in the documents for that month. The October 1913 issue of The Talking Machine World reports, "The Victor Talking Machine Co. inaugurated this month its annual fall campaign in the national magazines featuring Victor records exclusively," indicating that the company began its fall sales promotion using national magazines in October. The same October issue also features "RECORD BULLETINS FOR NOVEMBER, 1913. VICTOR TALKING MACHINE CO.", presenting the industry with a lineup of new releases for sale in November as early as October. In October 1913, the Victor Talking Machine Co. was in the midst of a typical fall sales campaign, combining national advertisements with announcements of new releases the following month.
Columbia
Materials from that month confirm Columbia Graphophone Co.'s exhibits at expositions and local events in October 1913. The October 1913 issue of The Talking Machine World states, "The Columbia Exhibits at Fairs. The Columbia Graphophone Co. has been much in evidence at fairs during the past few weeks." This shows that Columbia Graphophone Co. had an active presence at fairs around the country. This suggests that the company was not simply placing advertisements in October, but was also promoting itself at events where visitors could touch the actual machines and records.
