Zonophone
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music recording and publishing |
| Founded | 1899 in Camden, New Jersey, United States |
| Founder | Frank Seaman |
| Fate | Brand acquired by Columbia Records, Victor Talking Machine Company, and Gramophone Company/EMI Records |
| Headquarters | Camden , United States |
| Products | Records and phonographs |
Zonophone—initially also spelled Zon-O-Phone—was a record label launched in 1899 in Camden, New Jersey by Frank Seaman. The term Zonophone referred not to a standalone company but to the records and phonographs marketed by Seaman's Universal Talking Machine Company between 1899 and 1903. Subsequently, the brand was acquired by Columbia Records, the Victor Talking Machine Company, and the Gramophone Company/EMI Records, functioning as a label for diverse record releases.
1899–1910s
Emile Berliner, credited with inventing the lateral-groove disc record and the Gramophone, collaborated with machinist Eldridge R. Johnson, who improved Berliner's Gramophone to achieve commercial viability, alongside former typewriter salesman Frank Seaman. Berliner retained patent ownership; Johnson held manufacturing rights; Seaman managed distribution and sales.
1920s–1970s
During the period from 1928 through the early 1950s, Zonophone was a leading label in West Africa—especially in Ghana and Nigeria—producing 78 rpm discs featuring local music genres such as Sakara, Juju, and Apala. The label catered specifically to regional audiences with indigenous styles.
See also
External links
- US Zonophone recordings cataloged in the Discography of American Historical Recordings
- Regal Zonophone label overview
- Highlife Piccadilly: "African Music on 45 rpm records in the UK, 1954–1981" by Ray Templeton
- Images of British 78 rpm record labels, including numerous Zonophone & Regal-Zonophone examples
- Zonophone – A portal to early radio dramas, mysteries, and music from the 1900s to the 1920s