Operaphone Records

Operaphone Records was an American phonograph record label operated by the Operaphone Manufacturing Corporation of New York and, after a 1918 reorganization, by Operaphone Co., Inc. The enterprise was established in 1914 by John Fletcher, a professional musician and amateur inventor, with George Thomas as company president. A pressing plant was established in Long Island City, New York, and the Operaphone name began appearing in connection with records in 1915. The label entered the market during a period when numerous independent record manufacturers were attempting to compete with large companies such as Columbia, Victor, and Edison through alternative recording, pressing, and distribution systems. Operaphone's first advertised discs appeared in January 1916. The company initially promoted eight-inch records priced at 35 cents and claimed to issue 12 new discs, representing 24 titles, each month. Its advertising emphasized affordability and broad accessibility, reflected in the label motto “Music for Everybody.” Operaphone claimed that its production had tripled between January and August 1916. The label's early output included sentimental songs, comic material, instrumental selections, and popular vocal performances. It also attempted to stimulate sales by placing markedly different types of music on opposite sides of some records, but the practice was abandoned after only a short period. The company's records were primarily vertically cut, although the technical details varied. Some discs used a narrow groove associated with Edison Diamond Discs, while others employed a sapphire-ball system similar to Pathé's method. The earliest known issues were seven inches in diameter and used painted, etched labels. These were quickly replaced by an eight-inch series, which Operaphone promoted as offering playing time comparable to that of a 12-inch disc. The label design changed again from painted and frosted etched labels to conventional paper labels in 1916. Ten-inch vertically cut records were introduced in July 1918, and the company later shifted to a universal-cut format. Operaphone reorganized in 1918 and introduced a standard 10-inch series, but the records remained vertically cut and did not achieve the hoped-for commercial impact. A further 10-inch series launched in July 1919 used Emerson's universal-cut system, intended to work with either vertical or lateral reproducers. These later records became the label's most commercially successful and most commonly encountered products. By July 1920, the price of a 10-inch record had risen to one dollar. The repertoire was broader than the label's popular-song emphasis might suggest. Operaphone issued recordings by performers including Sam Ash, Al Bernard, Collins & Harlan, Frank Ferera, Ernest Hare, Charles W. Harrison, Billy Jones, Lewis James, Billy Murray, Dan W. Quinn, and Aileen Stanley. The label also released a small number of serious vocal and operatic selections, including works from Pagliacci, Tannhäuser, Faust, Rigoletto, Aida, Martha, The Bohemian Girl, Madama Butterfly, and Lohengrin. Recordings by Charles W. Harrison, Alan Turner, and Gertrude Rennyson represented some of the label's most significant classical or operatic issues. Fletcher announced plans to release a complete symphonic repertoire, but that ambition was not realized. Operaphone also functioned as a pressing supplier for other labels, including All-Star, Crescent, Domestic, and Elginola. Much of the later 10-inch repertoire was leased from Pathé, although some material appeared on Operaphone before corresponding Pathé issues, and the relationship was not publicly acknowledged at the time. In Canada, Operaphone discs were distributed by the Canadian Phonograph Company of Toronto and sold for 50 Canadian cents. In March 1921, the trade publication Talking Machine World reported that Operaphone would leave the record business. The company was purchased by the Remington Phonograph Company and reorganized as the Olympic Disc Record Company. Fletcher subsequently worked with Harry Pace to make use of the former Operaphone pressing facilities for the newly established Black Swan Records. Operaphone therefore had a short commercial life, but its surviving discs document the experimentation of the independent record industry with vertical recording, universal-cut technology, alternative label design, leased repertoire, and contract pressing.

Operaphone's corporate origins date to 1914, when John Fletcher established the Operaphone Manufacturing Corporation of New York. Fletcher was a professional musician and amateur inventor, and the company was formed with George Thomas serving as president. The business established a pressing plant in Long Island City, giving it the physical capacity to manufacture records rather than merely distribute material produced by another company. Fletcher later stated in a trademark application that he had begun using the Operaphone name in March 1915. The label's first known advertising appeared in January 1916. Operaphone offered eight-inch discs at 35 cents and publicized a regular flow of new releases: 12 records, or 24 titles, each month. Its advertising presented the label as an accessible source of entertainment and used the motto “Music for Everybody.” The company claimed that its output tripled between January and August 1916, suggesting an attempt to build scale rapidly in the crowded independent record market. Operaphone experimented with both its record formats and its physical presentation. The earliest issues were seven-inch vertically cut discs with paint-filled etched labels. An eight-inch series soon replaced them, with the company claiming that these smaller discs could provide playing time comparable to a 12-inch record. The painted labels were followed by frosted etched labels resembling those used on Edison Diamond Discs, and in August 1916 the company adopted ordinary paper labels. These changes reflected the label's effort to balance distinctive presentation with manufacturing practicality. Most Operaphone records were vertically cut, but the precise groove system varied. Some used a narrow-cut process associated with Edison, while others used a sapphire-ball approach comparable to Pathé's technology. The variation was partly connected to the origins of some masters and to the technical experimentation common among independent record companies of the period. Operaphone's early commercial strategy also included pairing highly contrasting material on opposite sides of a record in an effort to broaden potential appeal. The approach was discontinued after a few months when it failed to produce the expected results. The repertoire concentrated on popular entertainment, including sentimental ballads, comic songs, and instrumental performances. The label recorded or issued material associated with numerous popular performers, among them Sam Ash, Al Bernard, Collins & Harlan, Frank Ferera, Ernest Hare, Charles W. Harrison, Billy Jones, Lewis James, Billy Murray, Dan W. Quinn, and Aileen Stanley. Operaphone also issued a limited but notable group of serious vocal and operatic selections. These included excerpts from works by Leoncavallo, Wagner, Gounod, Verdi, Balfe, Bellini, Ponchielli, and Flotow. Gertrude Rennyson's four Operaphone sides were particularly important because she had previously appeared in major American and European opera contexts and had made relatively few recordings. In 1918 the business was reorganized as Operaphone Co., Inc. Eight-inch discs were discontinued after approximately 200 had been produced, and the company announced a standard 10-inch series. That series continued to use vertical cutting and did not win a large public following. In July 1919 Operaphone introduced another 10-inch series using Emerson's universal-cut system. The format was intended to be playable on machines equipped for either vertical or lateral reproduction and became the label's most successful and most frequently encountered record type. The company was still selling 10-inch records for one dollar by July 1920. Operaphone's role extended beyond its own label. Its Long Island City facilities pressed records for client labels including All-Star, Crescent, Domestic, and Elginola. Later 10-inch material was largely leased from Pathé, although some selections appeared on Operaphone before they were issued by Pathé. The companies did not publicly acknowledge their relationship. Operaphone also reached the Canadian market through the Canadian Phonograph Company of Toronto, which sold the discs for 50 Canadian cents. The label's plans were more ambitious than its eventual output. Fletcher stated in 1918 that the company intended to issue an entire symphonic repertoire, but the project never materialized. In March 1921, Talking Machine World reported that Operaphone would quit the record business. Remington Phonograph Company then purchased the company and reorganized it as the Olympic Disc Record Company. Afterward, Fletcher partnered with Harry Pace to use the Operaphone pressing plant in connection with the new Black Swan Records. Operaphone thus disappeared as an independent label, but its equipment, personnel connections, and manufacturing infrastructure continued to influence later record production.

• 1921

  Record operations end and company is acquired

  [1]Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Operaphone announced its withdrawal from the record business and was purchased by Remington Phonograph Company, becoming Olympic Disc Record Company.

• 1919

  Universal-cut 10-inch records introduced

  [1]Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The company launched a series using Emerson's universal-cut system, which became its most successful and commonly found format.

• 1918

  Corporate reorganization and 10-inch series

  [1]Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Operaphone became Operaphone Co., Inc., discontinued the eight-inch format, and introduced a standard 10-inch vertically cut series.

• 1916

  First advertised records and rapid production expansion

  [1]Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The company advertised eight-inch discs at 35 cents and promoted 12 new records per month; it later claimed that production had tripled during the year.

• 1915

  Operaphone name enters use

  [1]Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Fletcher claimed in a trademark application that he had first used the Operaphone name in March 1915.

• 1914

  Operaphone Manufacturing Corporation is established

  [1]Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  John Fletcher established the New York company, with George Thomas as president, and a pressing plant was soon created in Long Island City.

An affordable independent phonograph-record label positioned for broad popular appeal, while also experimenting with vertical and universal-cut formats and issuing selected serious vocal repertoire.

• Phonograph records · 1915

  Seven-inch vertically cut discs

  The earliest Operaphone issues were seven-inch vertically cut records with paint-filled etched labels. This format was short-lived and was quickly superseded by the larger eight-inch series. Surviving examples are part of the label's earliest experimental phase, before it standardized its presentation and expanded its release program.

• Phonograph records · 1916

  Eight-inch vertically cut discs

  Operaphone's principal early format was an eight-inch vertically cut disc advertised at 35 cents. The company claimed that the records could provide playing time comparable to a 12-inch disc, an important selling point for a smaller and potentially cheaper product. Approximately 200 eight-inch records were produced before the format was discontinued during the 1918 reorganization.

• Phonograph records · 1918

  Ten-inch vertically cut discs

  Ten-inch records were introduced in 1918 as Operaphone's standard format. They retained vertical cutting and carried popular, instrumental, and selected serious vocal repertoire. The initial series did not achieve the commercial response the company wanted, leading to another ten-inch series based on a different playback system the following year.

• Phonograph records · 1919

  Ten-inch universal-cut discs

  Introduced in July 1919, the universal-cut ten-inch series was designed for playback on machines using either vertical or lateral reproducers. These records represented Operaphone's most commercially successful format and are the label's most commonly encountered products. Much of the later repertoire was leased from Pathé, although the relationship was not publicly acknowledged.

• 1921

  Sale to Remington and reorganization as Olympic Disc Record CompanyM&A

  Background

  Operaphone announced that it would leave the record business after a short period of independent operation.

  Action taken

  Remington Phonograph Company purchased the business and reorganized it as the Olympic Disc Record Company.

  Aftermath

  The former pressing facilities were later associated with John Fletcher's work with Harry Pace and the new Black Swan Records.

  Source

• 1919

  Adoption of the universal-cut systemProduct launch

  Background

  The vertically cut ten-inch series had not achieved the intended market response, and compatibility with different phonographs offered a possible competitive advantage.

  Action taken

  Operaphone introduced ten-inch discs using Emerson's universal-cut method.

  Aftermath

  These became the label's most successful and most frequently found records.

  Source

• 1918

  Shift from eight-inch to standard ten-inch recordsGeneration change

  Background

  The company was reorganized as Operaphone Co., Inc., while its earlier eight-inch format had limited commercial traction.

  Action taken

  Operaphone discontinued the eight-inch series and announced standard ten-inch vertically cut discs.

  Aftermath

  The new series also failed to capture broad consumer interest, prompting the launch of a universal-cut ten-inch series in 1919.

  Source

• 1916

  Experiment with contrasting material on record sidesStrategy

  Background

  Operaphone attempted to broaden sales by placing very different kinds of material on the two sides of some early records.

  Action taken

  The label used pairings that combined disparate popular, comic, sentimental, or instrumental material.

  Aftermath

  The strategy was abandoned within a few months after failing to produce the desired commercial effect.

  Source

• 1921

  Operaphone exits the record business[1]Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Bankruptcy

  Talking Machine World reported that Operaphone would leave the record business; the company was subsequently acquired by Remington Phonograph Company.

• 1919

  Operaphone introduces universal-cut records[1]Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation · Product launch

  A new 10-inch series used Emerson's universal-cut system, designed for compatibility with vertical or lateral reproducers.

• 1918

  Operaphone reorganizes as Operaphone Co., Inc.[1]Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The business was reorganized and announced a standard 10-inch record series while continuing to use vertical recording.

• 1916

  Operaphone begins advertising its phonograph records[1]Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The label advertised eight-inch discs at 35 cents and promoted a monthly schedule of new releases.

1. 1Operaphone Recordsen.wikipedia.org