On
this Day Factola - July
4
Celebration
of American Independence and the Phonograph
"Patriotic
Airs," The
Edison Phonograph Monthly ad, July 1905.
From 1776 to the present day, July 4th
has been celebrated as the birth of American independence. Fireworks,
parades, political speeches, picnics and family gatherings have marked
this day each year throughout the United States. The Phonograph, likewise,
has celebrated July 4th with their advertisements of "American
patriotic airs from revolutionary days to date."
The Columbia Phonograph Company has
an early history of advertising associated with US patriotism as it
was "initially a distributor with a local monopoly on sales and
service of Edison phonographs and phonograph cylinders in Washington,
D.C., Maryland, and Delaware." Its Washington, D.C. location
gave it access to the US military band members for early band recordings
which were a popular selection on early nickel-in-the-slot machines.
The company selected Miss Columbia as its logo and used her in its
ads and on its cylinder record boxes. Make your "own selections
and celebrate the greatest Fourth of July in our history with appropriate
patriotic music" said a 1919 Columbia magazine ad still featuring
Miss Columbia.
Columbia also used Uncle Sam to promote
their phonographs and records, however, Uncle Sam was not limited
to Columbia advertisements as seen in Edison Form 392 of a jubiliant
1901 Uncle Sam taking off his hat to the Edison Phonograph.
Early examples of The
Columbia Phonograph Co. cylinder record boxes (courtesy The
Antique Phonograph Society Forum).
Miss Columbia Celebrates
the Fourth, The Delineator, July 1919 (PM-0864).
Edison Advertising Form
392, c.1901 (PM-1357).
McClure's magazine,
1901 (PM-0941).
Partial from Columbia
Records catalog featuring a de-lighted Uncle Sam, 1905.
Columbia Graphophone,
c. 1906.
Uncle Sam Edison Window
Display, The
Edison Phonograph Monthly,
June 1912.
"A neatly colored cutout of
Uncle Sam calling attention to the fact that The Celebrated Edison
Phonograph is America's Best for American Homes forms the center
of attraction. We desire to call all Dealers ' attention to the
fact that this particular display requires no fixtures and can be
used in a window 3x4 feet." Ibid. p. 5.
Stars and Stripes
Forever by John Philip Sousa, original sheet music 1898 (Source:
The Library of Congress).
Sousa and his Band
playing the "Stars and Stripes Forever," The National
Geographic, 1917.
The Fourth of July Celebrated
on Records
LISTEN to five examples of descriptive
records and patriotic music celebrating the Fourth of July courtesy
of David Giovannoni and i78s.org (Register
for free account).
"The
McGuires' Fourth of July Celebration," Steve Porter, Columbia
2-minute cylinder Record No. 33285, released c. December 1908.
(Disclaimer)
"The
Fourth of July patrol - Medley," New York Military Band,
Edison 4-minute Amberol cylinder, recorded March 25, 1912.
"Fourth
of July in Jayville Centre," Harlan & Stanley with
chorus of 'Rubes,' Victor 10" Black Label Record No. 16328,
Rural Specialty (Disclaimer).
Recorded May 17, 1909 - (Online
Discographical Project).
America - A Magic Lantern
Show Re-Created
View this Magic Lantern presentation
America for
a glimpse of what an audience could have seen and heard in
1908. The artwork is by Joseph Boggs Beale and the slides are accompanied
by The Indestructible Military Band performing The Star Spangled
Banner and America, Indestructible Record No. 3943 (1908).
2019 Columbia Pictures
Logo - Courtesy Sony©
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