On one of the issues of the New Amberola Graphic, they had a reprint of an Edison ad, which cracked me up. It showed a dejected couple on vacation, down in the mouth because there were no new records to play. (There were NONE at all?) Their day was ruined. Next panel showed them gleefully swinging around the place, 'cause the latest hit records had arrived (from someplace).
Another Edison ad that I really liked was a Christmas scene where a few little kids were getting their gifts from under the tree, and a new Edison phonograph was among the goodies for the family. The little kids were the beautiful image of carefree, innocent childhood. He did have some good ads. > [Original Message] > From: <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Date: 9/16/2006 11:35:36 PM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Phono-L and Censorship > > Edison stuck to the mores, business models, and audience awareness of the > late 19th century far too long. He came from an time when the people who built > the best machines, for the best prices, got the most business. He relied way > too much on word of mouth, and skimped on advertising. > > Edison also inexplicably missed out on the fact that from 1900 on, American > cities boomed, and the rural audience that had been so loyal to him began its > long, slow decline that continues to this day. Victor seized the moment. > They advertised heavily, and often, in large, urban-oriented publications. To > see one of Victor's lavish, colorful spreads in a magazine from that era almost > makes an Edison fan wince. Victor also invented the "star" system, with > their long-term contracts. Edison thought it was better to get a half-dozen of > the great artists' best titles, and not be "stuck" with paying them any more > money for "lesser material." > > It is fitting that one of the world's most famous trademarks, (Nipper,) has > a gramophone painted over an Edison cylinder machine, and that one of the > most famous Edison advertising pieces has two toothless geezers singing along > with a cylinder machine. > > DISCLAIMER! > > To all of you toothless geezers out there. Please do not take offense. I am > approaching geezerdom at an ever accelerating pace, and my dentist takes more > of my money every year. > > Randy > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > [email protected] > > Phono-L Archive > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/ > > Support Phono-L > http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank
