Use Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Japanese Phonograph Record collection, Collection #C0141, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Donor unknown.

Processing Information

Processed by Special Collections and Archives staff.

Historical Information

The records in this collection are early examples of "electrical" recordings. Prior to 1925 recordings were made acoustically with singers and musicians playing into a horn. Electrical recording introduced the microphone which could pick up a larger range of sound and tone. Record companies developed specific names for this new recording process. The Victor Talking Machine company dubbed the new electric records as Othrophonic Records; Columbia produced "viva-tonal" records. The records in this collection are labeled as such.

A product of Nipponophone, Orient was acquired by Columbia in 1925

Scope and Contents

The Japanese Phonograph Record collection contains 15, 78 rpm phonograph records produced for Japan. The collection also includes original record sleeves and printed material packaged with the record. The records in this collection were released by: Columbia, Regal, Victor, Ploydor and Orient Records. The records could have been released by the American division of these labels for export, or by there Japanese branches. The design of the labels present on the discs indicated that these records were released in the late 1920s through early 1930s. The records have been recorded with the new "electric" recording process, which was introduced to the music industry in 1925.

The song title and artist name are printed in Japanese with only the record company name printed in English. As of now the records remain unidentified.

Arrangement

Organized into five series.

Related Material

Special Collections and Archives also holds the Music, Theatre, and Spoken Word sound recording collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Music
• Music -- 20th century
• Music -- Japan
• Music -- Japan
• Sound recordings