'Re-Creation' is a term that Edison's marketing people made up to set their product as being different from ordinary 'records' in the public mind. This was at a time that Edison was staging 'Tone Tests' around the country at larger Edison dealerships. An Edison artist would perform at the store alongside a Diamond Disc Phonograph -- at times concealed by screens from the audience -- and the viewers would have to guess which was live and which was a 'Re-Creation'. The term 'Re-Creation' was used from June '21 through the end of '22. Then they became 'Edison Record'. There is a black paper 'Re-Creation' label that was used from June '21 until October '21, when the white labels appeared.
The smaller numbers you inquired about are matrix numbers. I have heard people say that the checkerboard pattern around the edge is a stoboscope for setting the speed of the record under 60-cycle illumination, but this is not true . . . it is merely a design. Diamond Disc surfaces are a phenolic resin derived from coal tar that is chemically similar to Bakelite, but which Edison called Condensite. It cannot grow 'mold' like a wax cylinder, so I'm not sure what the light brown handprint may be that you describe. Perhaps something heinous came in contact with it? At any rate, Edison recommended cleaning with alcohol. Isopropyl I suppose . . . what strength is best? The best term for the reproducer is simply 'reproducer' . . . 'reproducer head' is redundant, and would imply that there is a also a 'recording head', which there is not. > From: ge...@comcast.net > To: phono-l@oldcrank.org > Date: Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:40:27 -0500 > Subject: [Phono-L] Diamond Discs 15 > > The Edison Diamond disc records are all 10" with a white paper label. All are > in the 50,000 or 51,000 range, except: 8915, 7826, 5110 and 80398. I don't > have time right now to list them all with titles and artists; 2 have a red > star. 2 have "Re-Creation" on the label. What exactly does that mean!? > > Two are in very nice condition. Some have a scratch or two in the grooves > (like somebody tried the wrong needle); a few have light scratches across; > one is badly scratched; 2 or 3 look like they have a brown hand print which > reminds me of the mold I've seen on the cylinders. Is that fixable on these, > say with alcohol?? > > None are splitting. Only 2 or 3 have shallow chips on the edge...none > extending into the grooves. None are warped. > > **What are the numbers on the lower part (edge) of the label (like 8696 and > 8695) for? > **Also, there are scribed numbers in the plastic. Are they like the > cylinders, showing which "take," or something else?? > > I took a flying leap ;) and bought the 15 records and the reproducer head > too. I left the messed up rest...the owner seemed happy. I made an offer for > these (well below asking) and she took it. :) I'm guessing that she'll > probably junk the rest...maybe not. If it was not so heavy, I would have > taken the whole machine to muck around with. But I just could not handle it. > > Happy, peaceful and safe Holidays to all! > I will be back on Friday or Saturday and hopefully can work up a list then. > > Thanks again, > Ger > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
