Directory of American Disc Record Brands and Manufacturers, 1891-1943 - (Letters; 11) by Allan Sutton (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Directory provides an indepth examination of the growth of the American disc record industry from the introduction of Berliner's disc Gramophone through the Petrillo recording ban. It examines the histories of more than 330 labels and their manufacturers, chronicalling the growth of the disc record from a crude toy in the 1890s to a multi-million dollar industry in the early 1940s. In this process, the Directory shows how power eventually came to rest in the hands of several major manufacturers.

Taken largely from original source material, The Directory reveals master sources, master leasing policies, as well as examples of outright piracy. By tracing technological developments, corporate relationships, and the effects of changing musical tastes on the early record industry, Sutton provides an invaluable reference tool for all libraries and researchers concerned with recordings and the record industry.

Book Synopsis

The Directory provides an indepth examination of the growth of the American disc record industry from the introduction of Berliner's disc Gramophone through the Petrillo recording ban. It examines the histories of more than 330 labels and their manufacturers, chronicalling the growth of the disc record from a crude toy in the 1890s to a multi-million dollar industry in the early 1940s. In this process, the Directory shows how power eventually came to rest in the hands of several major manufacturers.

Taken largely from original source material, The Directory reveals master sources, master leasing policies, as well as examples of outright piracy. By tracing technological developments, corporate relationships, and the effects of changing musical tastes on the early record industry, Sutton provides an invaluable reference tool for all libraries and researchers concerned with recordings and the record industry.

Review Quotes

?For those...who have collected at least a moderate number of discographies, and who want first rate historical material on the sound recording industry of the United States, Allan Sutton's directory is a must. It is a sort of master guide to American sound recordings from the beginnings to 1943, or the work that ties everything together. Sutton's outstanding volume is a valuable reference tool for all libraries collecting significantly in the area of American music, both as a wide spectrum source of data on the American recording industry and as a general companion volume to any specialized discographies of United States sound recordings a library may hold. It is highly recommended for all academic libraries and all larger public libraries.?-Music Reference Services Quarterly

"For those...who have collected at least a moderate number of discographies, and who want first rate historical material on the sound recording industry of the United States, Allan Sutton's directory is a must. It is a sort of master guide to American sound recordings from the beginnings to 1943, or the work that ties everything together. Sutton's outstanding volume is a valuable reference tool for all libraries collecting significantly in the area of American music, both as a wide spectrum source of data on the American recording industry and as a general companion volume to any specialized discographies of United States sound recordings a library may hold. It is highly recommended for all academic libraries and all larger public libraries."-Music Reference Services Quarterly

About the Author

ALLAN SUTTON is an independent researcher specializing in the early American recording industry. He is a contributor to Antique Phonograph Monthly and other publications in the field. His Guide to Pseudonyms on American Records (Greenwood Press) was published in 1993.