Edison Bell
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music, phonograph manufacturing |
| Founded | October 1892 |
| Fate | Acquired by Decca in 1932; label production ended in 1935 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Gramophones, gramophone records, phonographs, phonograph cylinders |
Edison Bell was a British enterprise recognized as one of the pioneers in manufacturing and distributing gramophones and gramophone records. It gained prominence as a leading supplier of affordable records in England during the early 1930s, continuing until its acquisition by Decca in 1932, which marked the end of Edison Bell label production.
Background
The fascination with Edison's phonograph rapidly took hold in the United Kingdom. In 1879, Edison designated George Edward Gouraud to oversee his phonograph and telephone interests across Europe. Although Gouraud succeeded in raising awareness, he encountered difficulties in generating sales and became involved in patent disputes involving Chichester Bell and Charles Sumner Tainter. These patents pertained to a method of engraving the recording surface, differing from Edison’s original indentation technique. Following negotiations, the interests of Edison and Bell-Tainter were consolidated into a new British enterprise.
History
Formed in October 1892, the Edison Bell Phonograph Corporation, Ltd. was tasked with managing Edison’s phonograph manufacturing rights within Great Britain. Shortly thereafter, in November, the Edison Bell Phonograph Company was established with its headquarters located in London. This company held exclusive rights to produce phonographs and related innovations developed by Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Chichester Bell, or Tainter. Instead of selling devices outright, it opted to lease them and actively sought to prevent the introduction of disc records into England on grounds of patent infringement.
Edison Bell found itself embroiled in patent conflicts with rivals such as James E. Hough’s Edisonia company. In 1898, under Stephen Moriarty’s leadership, Edison Bell merged with Edisonia to form the Edison Bell Consolidated Phonograph Company, based in London. Prior to this consolidation, sales had been sluggish largely due to steep pricing—phonographs were priced at twice the U.S. cost within England. The company maintained patent control not only in the UK but also across Australia, China, Japan, and South America.
This new entity handled both phonograph and record sales, while manufacturing responsibilities fell to Edisonia, Ltd.. Edison Bell became the exclusive distributor for phonographs and Graphophones throughout Britain, supplying machines and records from Edison, Columbia, Pathé, and Puck until 1902.
Significant manufacturer of cylinder records
Following the expiration of the Bell-Tainter patents in 1900, Edison Bell restructured its operations. This change allowed Thomas Edison’s company to import or produce goods independently without oversight from Edison Bell. Alongside Edison Bell, major producers of phonograph cylinders during the early 20th century included the National Phonograph Company (American Edison), Pathé, and Sterling.
In 1901, Edison Bell launched “Gold Moulded” cylinders—mass-produced phonograph cylinders—and by 1904 had begun producing their own phonograph machines. Their cylinders achieved strong sales under the promotion of Harry Bluff. Additionally, they secured early production rights for celluloid cylinders through collaboration with The Lambert Co., preceding Edison’s efforts. A trade dispute between Edison Bell and National Phonograph unfolded publicly in 1906 via industry journals; this conflict led National to blacklist Edison Bell and halt phonograph shipments to them. Concentrating on cylinder production, Edison Bell employed strategies such as price reductions and introduced slightly larger cylinders compatible with standard mandrels to capture dominance in Britain’s cylinder market. In 1907, National initiated legal action aiming to prohibit Edison Bell’s use of the "Edison" name; however, Edison Bell successfully upheld its rights based on original contractual agreements.
Edison Bell's shift from cylinders to discs
In 1908, Edison Bell introduced the "Discaphone," a gramophone capable of playing both vertically and laterally cut discs, distinguished by its motor manufactured in Britain. The company's initial laterally-cut discs, measuring 10.5 inches, were released in May 1908; nearly 500 titles were produced before this line was discontinued in 1912. That same year marked the debut of the smaller, 8.75-inch vertically cut Phonadisc Records. To grow its presence in the cylinder market, Edison Bell acquired competitor Sterling and Hunting Ltd., distributing cylinders under various brand names including Grand Concert, Indestructible Ebony, London, Popular, and Standard.
Following Edison Bell’s bankruptcy declaration in 1909, manufacturing responsibilities quietly transferred to J.E. Hough, Ltd. The original company was officially wound up in 1910. In 1912, The Winner Record Co. launched the budget-oriented Edison Bell Winner label, which continued until 1935. Cylinder production was discontinued by 1914. Among their later popular products was the portable gramophone known as the "Handephon."
During the early 1920s, Edison Bell developed a serious music catalog under conductor Joe Batten (1885–1955). The Edison Bell Velvet Face label was introduced in 1922, focusing on rare classical repertoire—primarily recorded internally—with some selections licensed from Gennett Records. A significant release from this series was Batten’s 1925 rendition of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius. This label ceased operations in 1927.
In 1924, Edison Bell unveiled the "Picturegram," an early multimedia device that combined children’s records with a synchronized picture scroll for enhanced entertainment.
Subsequent developments and closure
Following J.E. Hough’s passing in February 1925, his sons took over company leadership. In 1927, Edison Bell acquired Beltona Records and introduced the premium "Electron" record brand via a subsidiary, issuing recordings sourced from Winner between 1927 and 1929. To manage activities outside North America, Edison Bell International, Ltd. was formed in 1928. The eight-inch Edison Bell Radio label launched in April 1928 featured abridged recordings licensed from Banner Records, but this line concluded in April 1932.
In early 1933, Decca purchased Edison Bell and halted all recording operations; nonetheless, Decca continued to release records under the Edison Bell labels until 1935.
Further research
The City of London Phonograph and Gramophone Society (CLPGS) offers an extensive history and discography of Edison Bell records within their Reference Series.
External links
- Edison Bell labels at 45worlds.com
- Edison Bell discs from the Stone Collection at 78-records.com
- Edison Bell Winner discography at discogs.com