Philla Siegmann-Wolff – “Säbellied” single
Label of an early double-sided coarse groove record of Austrian soprano Philla Siegmann-Wolff performing pieces from Jacques Offenbach’s operettas Die Großherzogin von Gerolstein and Die schöne Helena.
Issued on the Gramophone Co.’s Concert label used for the company’s 10 inch records until it was phased out in favour of His Master’s Voice starting in 1909 for the British market. Both sides were recorded in Vienna during February 1905, accompanied by an unknown pianist.
The branding along the top half of the rim appears in the Antique/Etienne style. Below the “Recording Angel” logo, the manufacturer is declared in an early grotesk style, followed by Eckmann-Schrift. This detail, along with the typefaces used for titles and performers varied greatly between records, including different pressings of the same titles. Certain issues from this period feature the company name in Bradley instead. Here, a condensed serif – a version of Latin Condensed – is used to fit the title in one line, followed by artist attribution in Romanisch. The most consistent element of these early offerings from the company are the top branding and the face numbers at the bottom.
Research into the company’s catalogue suggests this double-sided issue likely came out around 1907, when the Gramophone Co. slowly entered the double-sided record market. The reference to The Gramophone and Typewriter Ltd., which lasted until late 1907, further narrows down the time frame. Since 1905, competitors like International Talking Machine Co. of Berlin (makers of Odeon records) and Favorite of Hannover have been undercutting them by selling double-sided records for the cost of a typical single-sided one. The Gramophone Co.’s most prestigious operatic records from celebrities like Enrico Caruso remained in print as single-sided issues until 1924.
2 Comments on “Philla Siegmann-Wolff – “Säbellied” single”
Thanks for your contribution, Edi!
You tagged Antique No. 8 for “GRAMOPHONE CONCERT RECORD”. I don’t think that’s correct. In terms of proportions, Renaissance breit halbfett is closer – but that’s not quite a match either.
The words “gesungen von” might be in Romanisch indeed. The soprano’s name, “Philla Siegmann-Wolff”, is in something else, though. The curved bowl in P, the bottom-heavy e, and the g in which both the flag and the top part of the loop are horizontal suggest (a small size of) Eastman, which was sold in Germany under the name Mediaeval-Antiqua. I’ve added that one, alongside “unidentified typeface”.
Or is it Renaissance breit halbfett after all? On second look, many details like the high-waisted G, the flat terminal on R, and the very small apertures are conspicuously close. If the hairline serifs were reinforced and the overall weight increased – by ink spread or by drawing over the letterforms – I can imagine this being the starting point. I certainly don’t have a better suggestion to offer.