The Rescued Gramophone
SUSCRIBIRSE
Cargando videos...

Echoes from 1900: The Story of Victor's "Record for Children No. 1"

Echoes from 1900: The Story of Victor's "Record for Children No. 1"

Have you ever wondered what children listened to over 120 years ago? Recently, I stumbled upon a fascinating piece of audio history that takes us back to the very dawn of the recorded music industry.

It is called "Record for children, No. 1" (also known as the "Toy Record"), released in the year 1900. If you have heard this track and were confused by the terms "Victor" or "Toy," here is the story behind the sound.

It's Not a Person, It's a Giant

First, the name "Victor" refers to the Victor Talking Machine Company. Before they became the legendary RCA Victor, they were the pioneers of the phonograph industry in the United States. They are the ones famous for the logo of "Nipper," the dog listening to a gramophone (His Master's Voice).

What is a "Toy Record"?

At the turn of the century, gramophones were expensive luxury items. To tap into a different market, Victor released a smaller, simpler machine called the Victor Toy.

Because the machine was smaller, it required smaller discs. While standard records would eventually become 10 or 12 inches, these "Toy" records were only 7 inches in diameter. They were some of the very first audio products marketed specifically toward children.

"Record for Children No. 1"

The specific track labeled "Record for children No. 1" (Matrix A-490) is a medley of nursery rhymes. It features the voice of Harry Macdonough, one of the most prolific singers of the acoustic era.

"It is a fascinating window into the past—hearing 'Old King Cole' recited exactly as a child in the Victorian era would have heard it."

Listen to History

You don't have to imagine what it sounds like. The Library of Congress has preserved this artifact digitally. It is part of their National Jukebox collection.

Listen to the Original 1900 Recording →

Source: Library of Congress, National Jukebox. "Record for children, no. 1." Victor 3. 1900-11-26.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Figaro: The Spanish Hero with a French Soul and an Italian Voice

Image
Figaro: The Spanish Hero with a French Soul and an Italian Voice If there is one name that echoes through Victrolas worldwide, it is Figaro . However, there is often confusion about his true origins. Is he Italian? Is he Spanish? Although the character lives in the streets of Seville, Spain, and his immortality was sealed by Italian opera, he was actually born in the mind of a Frenchman: the playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais . While Beaumarchais wrote the original story, it was musical geniuses like Mozart (in The Marriage of Figaro ) and Rossini (in The Barber of Seville ) who provided the soundtrack that conquered the world. The Hit Song: "Largo al factotum" While Mozart gave Figaro incredible depth, it was Gioachino Rossini who gave him his most explosive entrance. In The Barber of Seville , Figaro enters the stage with the aria "Largo al factotum" ("Make way for the factotum"). This p...
Read more

The Man of a Thousand Voices: The Mystery of Carlos Francisco

  The Man of a Thousand Voices: The Mystery of Carlos Francisco In our latest restoration at The Rescued Gramophone , we feature a 1900 recording of Verdi’s "Di Provenza." But who was the baritone listed on the label? The pseudonym Carlos Francisco actually hid the great Emilio de Gogorza . In the early days of the recording industry, artists often used different names to record for various labels or to experiment with new repertoires without affecting their primary reputation. Gogorza was not only a prodigious voice but a visionary who helped the Victor Talking Machine Company recruit top-tier stars. His interpretation of Verdi is a testament to the "Bel Canto" technique, which managed to pierce through the surface noise of early 7-inch acoustic discs.
Read more