Home > Victor Talking Machine Company

The company was incorporated in Camden, New Jersey in October of 1901 by Eldridge R. Johnson . It was created by merger and reorganization of two existing companies: Emile Berliner's Berliner Gramophone Company, which produced disc records, and Johnson's Consolidated Talking Machine Company, which produced machines for playing disc records. The company was named "The Victor" in honor of legal victories by Johnson and Berliner over Zonophone and others concerning their rights to patents on and distribution of their products.

Victor had the rights in the United States and Latin America to use the famous trademark of the dog Nipper listening to an early disc phonograph. (See also His Master's Voice.)

In 1901, the phonograph cylinder still dominated the market for recorded sound. Disc records and phonographs were widely considered to be little more than toys, for they were cheaper, less reliable and usually of lower audio fidelity than the cylinder records. Johnson embarked on efforts to change these perceptions. He built more reliable spring-wound phonographs out of durable materials and hired engineers to research improved sound for the recordings. Within a few years, Victor was producing records with some of the finest audio fidelity of the era.

After increasing the quality of disc records and phonographs, Johnson began an ambitious project to have the most prestigious singers and musicians of the day record for Victor Records, with exclusive agreements where possible. Often these artists demanded fees which the company could not hope to make up from sale of their records. Johnson shrewdly knew that he would get his money's worth in the long run in promotion of the Victor brand name. Many advertisements were printed mentioning by name the greatest names of music in the era, with the statement that they recorded only for Victor Records. As Johnson intended, much of the public assumed from this that Victor Records must be superior to cylinder records.

The Victor recordings by Enrico Caruso were particularly successful. They were often used by retailers to demonstrate Victor phonographs; Caruso's rich powerful low tenor voice highlighted the best range of audio fidelity of the early audio technology while being minimally affected by its defects. Even people who otherwise never listened to operaCharles Garnier's Opera, Paris, opened 1875 Opera is an art form consisting of a dramatic stage performance set to music. The drama is presented using the typical elements of theater such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, often owned a record or two of the great voice of Caruso. Caruso and Victor Records did much to boost each other's commercial popularity.

The origins of country music as we know it today can be traced to two seminal influences and a remarkable coincidence. Jimmie RodgersFor the singer of "Honeycomb", see Jimmie Rodgers (pop singer). Jimmie Rodgers ( September 8, 1897 May 26, 1933) James Charles "Jimmie" Rodgers was the first country music superstar. Rodgers, known as The Singing Brakeman and The Blue Yodeler was born in and the Carter FamilyThe Carter Family was a rural country music group that performed between 1927 and 1943. Their music had a profound impact on later bluegrass, country, "pop", and rock musicians, as well as the U. folk revival of the 1960s. The original group was a trio co are considered the founders of country music and their songs were first captured at an historic recording session in Bristol, TennesseeBristol is a city located in Sullivan County, Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 24,821. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of State Street. Along with Kingspo on August 1Some entries on this page have been duplicates from June 28. The correct dates for such events need to be determined. August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. Events 527 Justinian I 1927Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 See also 1927 in aviation 1927 in film 1927 in literature 1927 in mu where Ralph PeerRalph Peer ( May 22 1892 January 19 1960) was born Ralph Sylvester Peer in Independence, Missouri. He died in Hollywood, California. Peer was a talent scout, recording engineer and record producer in the field of country music in the 1920s and 1930s. was the talent scout and sound recordist for Victor Records.