Bell Records was an American record label founded in 1952 in New York City by Arthur Shimkin, the owner of the children’s record label Golden Records. It was initially a unit of Pocket Books, a paperback publisher. Bell Records also had a British branch, which was active in the 1960s…
Month: October 2023
Beyond Edison and Bell: The Evolution of the First Disc Records
The Preceding Technologies: Wax Cylinders In the late 19th century, the field of sound recording was dominated by the inventions of Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. Edison’s phonograph, patented in 1878, utilized a wax cylinder as its recording medium. Bell also contributed with his graphophone, which sought to improve…
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
The 1959 film “The House on Haunted Hill” is a classic horror movie that has stood the test of time, thanks in large part to its atmospheric setting and the iconic performance of Vincent Price. Directed by William Castle, the film revolves around an eccentric millionaire, Frederick Loren (played by…
Dana Records
If you are a fan of polka music, you might have heard of Dana Records, a label that specialized in producing 78rpm records of Polish and Eastern European tunes. Dana Records was founded in 1945 by Walter Dana, a Polish-American entrepreneur who wanted to bring the joy of polka to…
From Tinfoil to Wax: The Evolution of Phonograph Cylinders
In an era where streaming services and digital downloads dominate our music consumption, it’s easy to overlook the rich history that has paved the way for today’s instant gratification audio experience. One of the fascinating relics of sound recording history is the phonograph cylinder, a seemingly primitive yet groundbreaking technology…