Autograph Records
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Founder | Orlando R. Marsh |
| Defunct | 1926 |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois , United States |
| Products | Jazz and organ music records |
Autograph Records was an American record label from the 1920s, operated by Marsh Laboratories based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was established by electrical engineer Orlando R. Marsh.
Marsh pioneered the use of innovative electrical recording techniques, making Autograph the first U.S. label to produce discs recorded electrically with microphones rather than the traditional acoustic method. According to Brian Rust, Marsh's initial electrical recordings were made as early as 1924.
Organ music
In 1923, Time featured an article that emphasized Marsh's breakthrough in capturing organ music, which had previously been considered impossible to record effectively. Pietro Yon performed "Jesu Bambino" at Marsh’s Chicago laboratory, and the playback quality received high praise. This advancement significantly broadened the phonograph's capabilities.
By October 1924, Marsh Laboratories had moved to 78 East Jackson Boulevard within the Lyon & Healy Building, a location that benefited from its closeness to sheet music and musical instrument retailers, drawing in clientele.
Discs
Autograph gained recognition for its Chicago jazz recordings, including duets by King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton. Among its top-selling records were pipe organ performances by Jesse Crawford. While Marsh’s electrical recording method captured much of the organ’s tonal range, it did not fully reproduce the bass frequencies.
Following his work with Autograph, Crawford took a position at New York City's Paramount Theatre, where the Victor Talking Machine Company began recording him using acoustic techniques before transitioning to Western Electric’s electrical system.
Milton Charles succeeded Crawford at the Chicago Theatre and made recordings with Marsh Laboratories at Chicago’s Tivoli Theatre (Chicago), which were released on Paramount Records. These Paramount sessions demonstrated superior technical quality compared to earlier Chicago Theatre recordings.
The last Autograph records were produced in 1926. Although the label itself ceased issuing records under its own name, Marsh continued to make recordings for other companies—including Paramount, Gennett Records, and Black Patti Records—throughout the latter half of the 1920s.
Radio
Amos 'n' Andy holds the distinction of being the first radio program distributed via recorded syndication, with Marsh Laboratories playing a crucial role in this process. Elizabeth McLeod documented that Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll’s recordings were made prior to their live broadcasts on Chicago’s WMAQ (AM) during 1928–1929 at Marsh Laboratories. These performances were pressed onto 12" shellac 78 rpm discs for distribution to multiple stations. On April 29, 1929, the recording contract was transferred to Brunswick-Balke-Collender (Brunswick Corporation), resulting in a notable enhancement of audio fidelity.