ABSTRACT
A U.K. firm, formed by the Russell Hunting Record Co., Ltd., on 27 Aug 1906, to be the British sales agency for the Odeon and Fonotipia discs of Fonotipia, Ltd. The new firm also acted as sales agency for the Sterling cylinder records, for the recording and manufacturing company, and for the Sterling-made Linguaphone Language Course cylinders of the International Linguaphone Co., Ltd. Louis Sterling was general manager. The company was successful at first, in large part because of aggressive advertising; one promotional effort sent a balloon flying over London. The company claimed in February 1907 that it had shipped 80,000 records on a single day. Catalogs covered operatic material, popular music of the day, plus Irish and Scottish items. However it was unable to meet the competition-in a period of economic depression-of records coming from Edison Bell and Clarion, selling for 25 percent less than the Sterling. The firm folded by October 1908, and was dissolved 6 Aug 1909. Sterling had already departed and was set up in business as the Rena Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
