ABSTRACT
A drive mechanism used in certain gramophones from about 1909 to 1914, based on the Stirling cycle engine patented in 1816 by Robert Stirling and James Stirling. It was an external combustion engine, fired by a methylated spirit (alcohol) burner; the fatal flaw in the design was that a flame was present, one that was difficult to stabilize. This feature, plus the cost-eight times the cost of a spring motor-and overall complexity of its mechanism, prevented the device from gaining wide acceptance. It did have quiet operation and maintained constant turntable speed. The motor was used in the Apollo and Maestrophone gramophones. [Evans, H. 1989.]
A record issued from 1937 to 1939. Using masters from American Record Corp. and Decca, the society marketed high quality material, and also made original records of Muggsy Spanier and Sidney Bechet. The label was briefly revived in 1946. [Rust 1978.]
British recording industry executive. He began as an exhibitor in London, with members of his family, in December 1893. He used equipment of the Edison Bell Phonograph Corp., Ltd., without authorization, making records of songs and speeches. Hough’s business was carried on under the name of the London Phonograph Co. From 1894 he sold imported cylinders
and his own London Records. Edison Bell’s suit against Hough required three years of litigation, at the end of which he was enjoined by the court. However, he did obtain sales rights from Edison Bell for their entertainment phonographs (not for leased office machines), and set up Edisonia, Ltd., in 1897 to succeed the London Phonograph Co. He continued to sell London Records. Under pressure from Edison Bell, he sold out to it in 1898; and the Edison Bell Consolidated Phonograph Co. was created to handle sales and leases of phonographs, with Hough as general sales manager. Hough acquired both Edison Bell Consolidated and Edisonia in 1909, and formed J.E. Hough, Ltd. He introduced the popular Winner record in February 1913.
