Music recorded in February 1918
February 1918 was a month in which political order and social institutions were simultaneously restructured in the final stages of World War I. On February 5, the SS Tuscania was sunk while transporting troops, once again highlighting the dangers that war posed to maritime transport and logistics. On February 6, the Representation of the People Act 1918 was ratified in Britain, expanding suffrage to men aged 21 and over, and women aged 30 and over who met certain conditions. On February 16, the Council of Lithuania promulgated the Independence Act, and on February 24, Estonia's Declaration of Independence was published, further advancing national restructuring in Eastern Europe and the Baltic Sea region. After the Brest-Litovsk Peace negotiations collapsed on February 10, the situation on the Eastern Front shifted to a renewed offensive by the Central Powers. Culturally, Gustav Klimt (1862–1918), a leading painter of the Vienna Secession, died on February 6th, marking the end of an era in European art at the turn of the century.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information regarding the recording from February 1918
Recording-related documents from February 1918 show that monthly releases of new music and home-market sales promotions were progressing in parallel, with each company strengthening its strategy of selling machines and records as a package. From February 1st to the latter half of the month, product advertisements and new release announcements from Victor Talking Machine Co., Columbia Graphophone Co., and Thomas A. Edison, Inc. can be found, and Pathéphone, Vocalion, and Sonora Phonograph were also appealing to home consumers through their sales networks. What can be gleaned from the primary sources for that month is not so much records of actual recordings, but rather the vigorous promotional efforts that emphasized in-store listening, installment payments, bundled sales of machines and dedicated records, and dance music and records by individual performers.
Victor
An advertisement dated February 1, 1918, announced that Victor Talking Machine Co.'s new February releases would be available in stores from that day. The February 5th issue specifically listed "New Victor Records for February" with numbers and prices, and an advertisement dated February 22nd listed several new release titles from retailers, confirming that the company was continuously promoting its February releases through retailers from the beginning to the end of the month.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=RPD19180201.1.3
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DT19180205.1.3
- https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH19180222.2.666.1
Columbia
An advertisement dated February 14, 1918, shows Baldwin Piano Co. selling a Columbia Grafonola system from Columbia Graphophone Co., complete with 10 double-sided records. An advertisement dated February 15 advertises that players can listen to individual records on the Columbia Grafonola, indicating that the company was linking machine sales with record promotion in February 1918.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19180214-01.1.10
- https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=tew19180215-01.1.8
Edison
The February 1918 issue of "Edison Diamond Disc Re-creations" is a comprehensive catalog containing up to supplement issue 76, confirming that Thomas A. Edison, Inc. continued updating its Diamond Disc catalog that month. The text also emphasizes that Edison discs are not suitable for playback on machines other than the New Edison, indicating that the company was prominently promoting the sale of dedicated machines and records as a set in February 1918. In addition, newspaper advertisements in February continued to promote Diamond Discs featuring the latest releases in various locations.
- https://archive.org/stream/edisondiamonddis00thom/edisondiamonddis00thom_djvu.txt
- https://historicalnewspapers.lib.purdue.edu/?a=d&d=PE19180219-01.2.25.3
- https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/issue/straitstimes19180226-1
Pattyphone
An advertisement dated February 14, 1918, prominently featured the combination of Pathéphone and Pathé Records, emphasizing a repertoire that included many dance tunes. An advertisement dated February 22 announced that both sapphire and steel needles would be included with the purchase of a machine, indicating that as of February 1918, Pathé was highlighting the convenience of its playback system and its diverse music library as selling points.
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DT19180214.1.5
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50968077
Vocalion
Advertisements dated February 2nd and February 19th, 1918, repeatedly promoted the Aeolian Co.'s Vocalion as the centerpiece of home entertainment. A similar product promotion can be seen in the February 15th advertisement, indicating that the promotional efforts for that month focused more on strengthening the positioning of the Vocalion as a music machine for continuous use in the home, rather than promoting specific new releases.
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5593526
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15776206
- https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INN19180215-01.1.9
Sonora
An advertisement dated February 16, 1918, strongly emphasized the sound quality and aesthetic appeal of the Sonora Phonograph, continuing its appeal as a product for home use. The advertisement's text touched upon not only the machine's beauty but also its practical value, confirming that Sonora products in February 1918 were being marketed for their combination of sound quality and furniture-like appeal.
