Music recorded in November 1929
November 1929 was a month in which diplomacy, culture, the economy, natural disasters, and exploration all moved simultaneously, as the impact of the Great Depression spread to all sectors. In Paris, the International Conference on the Treatment of Foreigners was held from November 5 to December 5, where the legal status of people crossing borders was discussed. On November 7, the Museum of Modern Art in New York opened its first exhibition, "Cezanne, Gauguin, Seurat, van Gogh," marking its beginning as a new museum specializing in modern art. On November 15, Herbert Hoover (1874–1964) indicated his intention to proceed with consultations with representatives of industry, agriculture, and labor, and urgently sought to address the recession. On November 18, the Grand Banks earthquake and tsunami caused extensive damage to the southern coast of Newfoundland, severing 12 transatlantic submarine communication cables. On November 29, Richard Evelyn Byrd (1888–1957) achieved a historic milestone in the history of aerial exploration by flying over the South Pole.
Confirmed recordings this month: 0
Summary of information regarding the November 1929 recording.
In November 1929, judging from contemporary industry documents available for that month, the recording industry was more focused on electric phonographs, radio-phonograph combinations, electric pickups, and the expansion of sales networks than on new recordings themselves. The sales network of the Radio Corporation of America was expanding, leveraging the existing network of the Victor Talking Machine Company to sell radio-phonographs. The Columbia Phonograph Company, Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, and Sonora Phonograph Company, Inc. also clearly adopted a strategy of selling electric playback machines and radio receivers as a package. Based on primary sources for November, it is more accurate to view the recording industry that month as "a month of electric playback machines and distribution restructuring" rather than "a month of new recording expansion."
Radio Victor
The Radio Corporation of America's 1929 annual report confirms that Radio-Victor Corporation of America handled sales for both Radio Corporation of America and Victor Talking Machine Company, selling Victor radios and Victor Radio with Electrola through the former Victor sales network. Furthermore, the report indicates that in the fall of 1929, the company planned to integrate research, design, manufacturing, and sales of radio receivers, accessories, phonographs, and vacuum tubes, showing that by November, the company had repositioned its recording and playback equipment within the overall radio industry.
Columbia
In the November 1929 issue of an industry magazine, the Columbia Phonograph Company advertised the C-11 receiver, the 940 model with integrated radio and phonograph, the 920 model Viva-Tonal electric phonograph, and the 180 model portable turntable and pickup unit that connected to a receiver for electric record playback. What can be confirmed here is that in that same month, the Columbia Phonograph Company was not only a record company but also developing electric playback equipment and radio receivers as integrated home entertainment devices.
Brunswick
In the same November 1929 issue of the industry magazine, Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company showcased the Model 31, which combined the Model 14 radio, the Model 21 high-end radio, and an electric panatrope. The Model 31 was presented as a combined radio receiver and electric playback device, confirming that the company was not merely selling receivers but was also introducing comprehensive entertainment equipment, including record playback, to the market that month.
Sonora
The November 1929 issue of an industry magazine reported that Sonora Phonograph Company, Inc. had appointed the Philadelphia-based HP Schade Company as its distributor for Sonora Radio and Sonora Radio-Melodon. The same issue also introduced the company's new line of receivers with screen grid tube chassis and radio-phonograph units priced from $190 to $695. November in November shows Sonora Phonograph Company, Inc.'s activity can be seen in both expanding its sales network and introducing combined units.
Edison
Regarding Thomas A. Edison, Inc., a November 1929 issue of an industry magazine confirms that the company established Renier Brothers in Debuque, Iowa, as a new distributor for Edison's radios, phonographs, and records. On the other hand, the Library of Congress's history of Edison discs states that after introducing new portable disc phonographs and needle discs in the summer of 1929, the company closed its disc business on October 21st, indicating a shift in focus to radios and phonographs. Therefore, it is appropriate to consider that in November 1929, Thomas A. Edison, Inc. was still distributing goods, but its overall business was in a phase of closure. The primary sources for that month do not provide specific details about the expansion of new recordings.
- https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Broadcast/Radio-Broadcast-1929-11.pdf
- https://www.loc.gov/static/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/history-of-edison-sound-recordings/history-of-the-edison-disc-phonograph.html
Cape Heart
In the November 1929 issue of an industry magazine, The Capehart Corporation was featured as a promising product in automatic phonographs, specifically the Capehart Orchestrope. The article described the machine as being able to continuously play 56 songs from 28 records, using an electric pickup, a three-stage amplifier, and an electromagnetic loudspeaker, and that it was available in both coin-operated and coin-free models. According to the November documents, The Capehart Corporation had established a unique presence in the field of commercial equipment for automated record playback.
