Fonógrafo portatil

[Guest Nicole]

Fono?grafo.mp4

[The Librarian]

@JW Insider What was the official name for these in English back then?

We should tag recordings of these correctly when they eventually get posted here.

[JW Insider]

11 hours ago, The Librarian said:

What was the official name for these in English back then?

I believe you mean the "phonograph" itself, not the "phonograph talk."

The appliance itself was usually called a "phonograph" in both the US and UK, and the name "gramophone" or "grammophone" might have also been used by some, as that word remained somewhat more popular in the UK. But, I never heard that it was called a gramophone among Witnesses when it was introduced in 1934. It was just called "the phonograph" as far as I remember anyone from my family calling it. (My grandfather had one in Illinois, USA since the 1930's). Of course (depending on style and manufacturer) it could also be called the "Watchtower phonograph" "vertical [style] phonograph" "wind-up phonograph" "Watchtower record player" "vertical record player" "portable phonograph" etc.

The talks were called "phonograph recordings" "records" "phonograph talks" "Judge Rutherford's talks" "recorded lectures" "recorded Bible discourses" "phonograph disks" etc.

I have never seen one, but have been told that the Rutherford records were also available for old-style "transcription machines" which were usually larger and heavier than phonographs so they were rarely used portably at the door, but were used in the sound cars, and some of the congregations already owned these machines to play music and talks and voice recordings at the meetings for the previous 10-20 years. They had been invented in the 1880's (by Edison), and were already (1920's) a "staple" for large secretarial offices, and had regained popularity among a wider audience due to radio, both to record from the air, and for radio station programmers to pre-record interviews and performances that would be played on the air later. The older ones used cylinders, but more recent ones (1920's) took something like 16 inch disk records, not the smaller (10+ inch) 78's that the phonographs used.

The November 1935 "Director" (related to Messenger, Informant, Kingdom Service, Our Kingdom Ministry, etc.) shows that recordings were available from the Society for both phonographs and transcription machines:

• The time spent in sound machine service is not to be included in the total hours house-to-house witnessing. Beginning at once, each publisher will report two items of time spent in the service. First, total hours house-to-house witnessing, as heretofore. (This is to be put in the regular space on the report form.) Separate from this there is to be reported the total hours spent with sound machines, including the time spent with phonographs, transcription machines or sound cars. Change the heading on the report form from "Total number of meetings" to "Total hours sound machine service", and in this space make the report of time spent with sound equipment. This applies to all pioneers, auxiliaries, company and sharpshooter publishers. 
• What time is to be reported as "Total hours sound machine service"? Not the time spent in driving to meeting places, but the time spent in holding meetings. This is the time used in running lectures and musical numbers, in making announcements of the lectures, of meeting places, of radio broadcasts, and, in fact, all time in actual use of sound equipment, time at phonograph and transcription meetings, and in question meetings in connection therewith. Remember that this additional time and service with sound machines is in addition to getting in well over your quota of hours in the house-to-house witnessing with the literature.

...

• When a shipment of records is received, either phonograph or transcription machine, they should be immediately opened and checked. The contents should be carefully examined to see if the records are all in good condition.