Leeds Talk-o-Phone
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music recording |
| Founded | 1894 |
| Founder | Wynant van Zant Pierce Bradley, Albert Irish |
| Defunct | 1909 |
| Headquarters | Toledo, Ohio , United States |
| Products | Cylinder recordings, single-sided lateral-cut disc phonograph records |
Leeds Talk-O-Phone operated as a record label manufacturing cylinder recordings between 1894 and 1903, and later produced single-sided lateral-cut disc phonograph records in the United States approximately from 1902 until 1909.
The Talk-O-Phone Company, based in Toledo, Ohio and owned by Wynant van Zant Pierce Bradley alongside Albert Irish, was responsible for creating Leeds Records. Their disc phonograph models bore resemblance to the early "Victor" devices produced by the Victor Talking Machine Company.
Certain Leeds Records were illicit copies of international recordings, taking advantage of lax global copyright enforcement. Although some have claimed that all Leeds releases were either leased or pirated, this is incorrect; a portion of their catalog consisted of original recordings made specifically for Leeds, as evidenced by spoken introductions on the discs. Nonetheless, a conflict arose in the late 1890s with Russell Hunting over unauthorized duplication of his "Cohen at the Telephone" track, which Leeds resolved by compensating Hunting following his threat to publicize the issue.
Prominent Vaudeville artists such as Byron G. Harlan contributed recordings to Leeds. The sound quality of Leeds discs was on par with Victor or Columbia Records releases from roughly five years prior.
Leeds records are recognizable by their ornate center labels, which feature gold foil embossing depicting three angels along with decorative typography stating "LEEDS TALK-O-PHONE RECORDS." The lower portion of the label contains the record number, song title, and performer’s name framed within a floral design.
During the early 1900s, Leeds enhanced its recording quality and issued discs under uncommon brand names including "Century," "Sir Henri," and "Imperial." These labels did not attribute Leeds due to frequent legal challenges involving patents and trademarks. Production of cylinders ceased after 1903 when Columbia introduced black wax cylinders, effectively ending competition with brown wax formats. Although there are rumors that cylinder manufacturing resumed in 1905, no surviving examples or catalogs have been found to confirm this.
In April 1909, Victor prevailed in a patent infringement case that compelled both Leeds Records and Talk-O-Phone to discontinue operations.