Laughing Song, Geo W Johnson 1st Black Recording Artist Victor 583, One Sided 78
$
123
$ 123
Sold For
Apr 29, 2019
Sold Date
Apr 19, 2019
Start Date
$ 26
Start price
5
Number Of Bids
USA
Country Of Seller
eBay
Auctioned at
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Description
Up for sale is a very scarce ONE SIDED 78 rpm shellac 10 inch record. It features the singing (and laughing) of possibly the very first African American recording artist!
PLEASE NOTE: Although the artist was himself African American, the lyrics of this song may be considered objectionable.
Record Label: Victor Record Record Number: 583 Year of Release: 1902
Recorded side: Laughing Song (Negro Specialty) Artist: Geo. W. Johnson Wax matrix marks: "583" appears above the center label. (There is also a very small "u" just in front of this number.) "12" appears to the left of the center label.
George W. Johnson was born in Virginia in 1846. Although he was a slave, he learned to read and write. After the Civil War, he migrated to New York, where he became a musical street performer, specializing in whistling tunes. In about 1890, he was hired by the New York Phonograph Company and the New Jersey Phonograph Company to make recordings on wax phonographic cylinders that would be played for a fee (20 cents for a 2 minute song) in public venues. Over the next several years, Johnson recorded his "The Whistling Coon" and "Laughing Song" thousands of times using this early technology in which each recording was its own master. Several years later, the wax cylinders began to be supplanted by discs, for which multiple copies could be made from a single master. According to the website of "discogs", the Victor recording I am selling was released on September 11, 1902.
Please see above for full description of condition, which has some issues, and for photos. Sold as is.
Attention US Buyers: I will ship by USPS Media Mail or by USPS Priority Mail, your choice. Please note that if you have a Military Mail (e.g. APO) address, I must ask that you pick USPS Priority Mail as it is my understanding that USPS Media Mail is not reliable to Military Mail addresses.
Attention International Buyers: I will ship by USPS First Class International Mail (to selected countries where E-Delcon is available) or by USPS Priority International Mail (worldwide), your choice. Please note that the price does not include any customs that may be charged by the country to which this is delivered.
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