Music recorded in May 1914
May 1914 was a month marked by significant developments in the political system, agricultural policy, immigration issues, and maritime transport. On May 8, the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 was enacted in the United States, establishing the framework for a cooperative agricultural extension system linking state agricultural colleges with the federal government. The following day, May 9, Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) issued Presidential Proclamation 1268—Mother's Day, 1914, establishing May 10 as a national holiday. On May 21, the House of Commons held its third reading of the Government of Ireland Bill, continuing the political conflict over Irish Home Rule. On the 23rd, the steamship SS Komagata Maru arrived in Vancouver Port, and the conflict over disembarking passengers made Canada's exclusionary immigration policy visible. On the 29th, the steamship RMS Empress of Ireland collided with the steamship SS Storstad and sank in the St. Lawrence River, resulting in many deaths.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information regarding the May 1914 recording.
For recording-related materials from May 1914, the May 1914 issues of Thomas A. Edison, Inc.'s "Edison Phonograph Monthly" and the May 1914 issue of the same month's industry journal, "The Talking Machine World," are useful. The former refutes the theory that cylinder products were being abandoned, confirms personnel changes in the sales department, and announces products scheduled for release the following month. The latter confirms that the Victor Talking Machine Company and the Columbia Graphophone Company were strengthening their promotional efforts, focusing on dance demand and educational use. At least based on the materials from that month, the market in May 1914 saw cylinders and discs competing in parallel, with machine improvements, promotional brochures, and proposals for educational and dance use progressing simultaneously.
Edison
The May 1914 issue of Thomas A. Edison, Inc.'s "Edison Phonograph Monthly" begins with a strong denial of rumors that the company would be "finally abandoning Edison Cylinder products." It also states that the company will continue to actively promote Edison Blue Amberol Records and Edison Diamond Amberola. The same issue also includes personnel changes in the sales department, such as the resignation of F.K. Dolbeer (dates unknown) and the appointment of A.C. Ireton (dates unknown), as well as a guide for the June release of Blue Amberol Records. Documents show that in May 1914, Edison clearly stated that he would continue to produce cylinder products, but at the same time, he was reorganizing his sales system and announcing new releases.
- https://archive.org/details/edisonphonograph12moor
- https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Edison-Phonograph/Edison-Phonograph-Monthly-1914-Vol-12.pdf
Victor
The May 1914 issue of The Talking Machine World features an announcement by the Victor Talking Machine Company about the Victrola XI, Type F. The article notes that this $100 machine featured improvements, including an internal design that allowed records to be stored flat. The same issue also features an illustrated booklet called "Three Modern Dances," featuring poses by Vernon Castle (1887–1918) and Irene Castle (1893–1969), suggesting that the company was seeking to expand demand for dance records, focusing on the one-step, hesitation, and tango. The May 1914 issue also shows that Victor was simultaneously promoting its mechanical improvements and dance promotional materials.
Columbia
The May 1914 issue of *The Talking Machine World* reported that the Columbia Graphophone Company's education division had released a comprehensive catalog of educational records at the beginning of the month. The issue also included an article about Emily O'Keefe (dates unknown) overseeing the company's folk dance record production, and noted that G. Hepburn Wilson's *How to Dance the Modern Dances* was in high demand as a free distribution item for retailers. In addition, a letter dated April 20, 1914, by Anna Pavlova (1881–1931) was reprinted, praising the Columbia Grafonola and the usability of its dance records. Documents confirm that in May 1914, Columbia Records was trying to expand the demand for records from both educational and dance perspectives.
