ABSTRACT

A French firm of instrument makers, which produced a “plate phonograph”(i.e.,a tinfoil disc player) in 1879. The company also marketed a tinfoil phonograph for cylinders. The disc player was ingeniously designed to account for the change in groove speed from edge to center of the record. Little is known of these products or their commercial success. The machines were sold for 100 francs (a hand-driven model) or 550 francs (a spring-driven model). [Chew 1982.]

A French record, issued by Decca in Britain from October 1954. The repertoire focused on world music, including UNESCO recordings. In 1958 the label made its final appearance in the English catalog. [Bryant 1962.]

American operatic and popular singer, born Samuel Holland Rouse in Greencastle, Indiana. He sang in 72 operas for 34 different companies, accumulating 3,742 performances as a utility buffo. Dudley was heard on Berliner’s seven-inch record #01021, “In Old Ben Franklin’s Day” (26 Feb 1900), and on Eldridge Johnson’s first 10inch Monarch record, #3001 of 1901: “When Reuben Comes to Town.” He made other Berliners in 1902, then recorded for Edison, doing solo and quartet work, making as many as 85 cylinders in one day. The first Edison was “Dreaming, Dreaming” (#1150). In London, in 1902, he recorded with his Hayden Quartet for the Gramophone Co. Back in America he was engaged by Calvin Child as assistant director of recording for Victor. One of his tasks was to edit the annual Victor catalog and the Victor Book of the Opera (first edition 1912). He retired in 1919.