I'd have to check on the date Harry Lauder made his first record-
ings for Edison. However, I do know that they are "live" recordings;
that is, the performance was acoustically recorded directly to cylinder
master for pressing.
Beginning with Blue Amberol cylinders numbering in the high 2400's
(around 2480 or so), cylinders were acoustically dubbed from Diamond
Disk records, resulting in reduced sound quality overall. Some "live"
recordings were re-released after this though, such as the Lauder
records, which Edison kept in circulation through the late 1920's.
The swastika was used as a decorative element in art for a long time
before it became an infamous symbol of the Nazis. I have seen examples
of it in Native American blankets and baskets, as well as on textiles
from the Arts & Crafts/Mission period (which would place it right in
the timing of this ad).
Jim Canavan
Alexandria, VA
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