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MMD > Archives > October 1998 > 1998.10.21 > 08Prev  Next


Columbia Graphophone Co. and the Gramophone Co.
By Mark Chester

Hi, Folks!  Just a quickie follow up to Jeffrey Borinsky's posting
in 981020 MMD:

> Slightly off-topic:  The Columbia Graphophone Co. and the Gramophone
> Company merged in 1931 to make Electrical and Musical Industries (EMI).

Mr. Borinsky is absolutely correct, but to avoid confusion, keep in
mind the following brief fact:  The Victor Talking Machine Company's
affiliate in the UK was the Gramophone Company, Ltd. (for a while, the
Gramophone & Typewriter Company), while the New York based Columbia
Graphophone Company's UK affiliate was conveniently enough also called
the Columbia Graphophone Company (Ltd.)

Mr. Borinsky is, of course, speaking of the UK affiliates which merged
to make EMI.  The American-based Columbia Graphophone Co. ended up
in receivership, was reorganized in 1923, changed hands (in fact to
become owned by the same UK interests which had organized the UK
affiliate, although it remained a separate company), played a role in
the reorganization of the former Independent Broadcasters, Inc. into
what then became CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System), and then changed
hands twice more before finally being acquired in 1938 by CBS!

Thus, the Columbia Graphophone Co. of America did not become part of
the EMI merger, but instead ended up being the nucleus of what was to
become today's CBS and Columbia Records.

I don't know enough about Aeolians UK activities to answer his
question about a connection between that company and EMI.

That's enough from me!

Mark Chester


(Message sent Wed 21 Oct 1998, 11:49:58 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Co, Columbia, Gramophone, Graphophone

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