Emerson Records
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Early 7 inch Emerson Record in original paper sleve |
Emerson Records was a
record label active in the
United States of America from
1916 to
1928.
Emerson was founded by
Victor H. Emerson, who had worked for
Columbia Records since the
1890s. In 1916 he started his namesake company, producing 7 inch
gramophone record selling for 25
cents each, and 5 & 1/2 inch discs selling for 10 cents. Early fare included popular tunes, dance numbers, and patriotic marches, mostly recorded by small groups of unnamed musicians hired in
New York City credited as the "Emerson Orchestra" or sometimes grandly "The Emerson Symphony Orchestra". In January of
1918 Emerson added a line of 9 inch records selling for 75 cents. After
World War I Emerson started ambitious expansions of the business, and in
1919 finally introduced a line of 10 inch discs (the common industry standard) retailing for 85 cents, which went up to $1 each the following year. At the same more popular "big name" artists were hired to record for the label, including
Wilbur Sweatman,
Eddie Cantor, the
Six Brown Brothers, and the
Louisiana Five. Somewhat later the label also recorded
Lizzie Miles,
Eubie Blake,
Fletcher Henderson, and the
Original Memphis Five. 1919 also saw the debut of a series of 12 inch Emerson discs, mostly of
Classical music, retailing for $1.25.
In May of
1920 Emerson opened a second
recording studio in
Los Angeles, California.
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An Emerson Record label from 1919 |
Emerson's expansions turned out to be over-extended to be supported by the economy, and the company went into receivership in
1921. In May of
1922 investors
Benjamin Abrams and
Rudolph Kararek purchased the Emerson Company for $50,000, and raised an additional $200,000 of capital for the business. Emerson records were then sold for 50 cents each. In
1924 the investors sold the company to the
Scranton Button Company of
Scranton, Pennsylvania. Emerson switched to the electric
microphone method of
sound recording in
1926. Scranton Button Co. halted production of new records by its Emerson subsidiary in
1928, but continued to use the name for a line of
radios.
Emerson Records from the 1910s and early 1920s are generally above average
audio fidelity for the era, pressed in high quality
shellac. The fidelity of the later 1920s issues compares less favorably.
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