There were advertisements during early
1900's promoting the realism of the talking machine.
But in the 1908 "Which is which?"
advertising campaign by The Victor Talking Machine Company the question
was directly asked of consumers: Can you really tell the difference
between the actual performer and the Victor record?
The "Which is which?" text
was graphically positioned between an artist and a Victor machine
followed by the answer that "You think you can tell the difference...But
can you?"
Examples then followed of various venues
where listeners were "delighted" where they thought they
were listening to the singers themselves, or "craning their necks
to get a glimpse of the singer," or "rushing from all directions
to see the singer..." But in each case the source of the "beautiful
voices" was a "Victor."
Consumers were offered the consolation
regarding their mistakes with the explanation that "Even in the
Victor laboratory, employees often imagine they are listening
to a singer making a record while they really hear the Victor."
And the final advice? "Why not
hear the Victor for yourself? Any Victor dealer will
gladly play any Victor Records you want to hear."
