Which Record Labels Were Originally Furniture Makers???

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My understanding is that several early record labels sprung up because they initially were making the huge consoles and apparatuses to play early cylinders and disks. But I just tried to find the source for this and couldn't -- so, is this something I made up, or is it true?

Did, say, Paramount used to make coffins and coffee tables and then they saw this market and started to make records to have a reason to help sell these big bulky expensive machines? I should probably post this to 78-L but I'd rather be laughed at here, I think. 'Mmmkay.

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 09:55 (nineteen years ago)

here's a page by tim gracyk which points out that the place you bought early phonographs was quite probably a furniture shop

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 10:03 (nineteen years ago)

this probably refers to the Victrola, introduced in the early 20th and marketed as both a miracle music machine and a piece of furniture. until the nascent record biz crashed in 1929, anyway.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 11:37 (nineteen years ago)

Tim Gracyk wrote an fact-stuffed book about early recorded music.

Popular American Recording Pioneers, 1895-1925.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 11:40 (nineteen years ago)

ok I sorta misunderstood the question. in the early 20th century the US had 3 big record companies: Edison, Victor and Columbia as well as smaller ones like Emerson. Pathe dominated the European market. I believe they were all manufacturing the record hardware as well but didn't come from the furniture business per se but what we would now call the high tech sector. Edison = failed Bill Gates while Emile Berliner = proto Steve Jobs? nah, not really.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:16 (nineteen years ago)

Thanks for all the info/ responses. I guess somehow I thought that since they made the hardware (which was pretty close to furniture at the time) that they came from that industry.

I just had a dream where I found a handful of unfound Paramount 78s and a couple Black Pattis. Thankfully lack of resources will keep me from being a 78 horder; I do not want to become one of those 'Ghost World' people.

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:11 (nineteen years ago)

i think the idea is not impossible but i sorta doubt that any of the "big" labels would have started there -- however there were many tiny start-ups also, labels which have long since vanished from memory

brunswick sound as if they might also have made sofas

the "software" began as a promotional tool for the "hardware": ie hmv (or whoevs) put out adelina patti cylinders to help market their phonograph (and not vice versa)

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:29 (nineteen years ago)

OTM: Enrico Caruso sold more Victrolas than Nipper the dog.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

cue the lex spluttering with rage

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 14:01 (nineteen years ago)

Obviously the answer is Starlight Furniture Co. Or Sofasound perhaps. I do truly hope I've gone quite deaf and also possibly demented before DFS or Ikea evolve and start putting out CDs to go with your Billy 90 shelving.

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

But way back in the day, you *did* have to buy your records at a furniture store, general store, etc., no? There were music stores, obviously, but I don't know how much retail overlap there was between sheet music and records.

― A Radio Picture (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 07:29 (nineteen years ago)

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