Very Rare 1890s LAUGHING SONG Brown Wax Cylinder By George W. Johnson
$
158
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Description
ALL WEEK I WILL BE LISTING A COLLECTION OF RARE AND COLLECTIBLE CYLINDER AND 78 RPM DISK RECORDS. THESE HAVE BEEN CULLED FROM A LARGE COLLECTION AND THEY'RE THE TYPE YOU DON'T SEE LISTED EVERY DAY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK BEFORE BIDDING. A NOTE ABOUT THE CYLINDER RECORDS - THESE ARE BEING GRADED VISUALLY ONLY. I DO NOT HAVE A PLAYER ON WHICH TO PLAY THEM. I WILL DO MY BEST TO POINT OUT ANY IMPERFECTIONS IN EACH LISTING. tHANKS, AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ITEM...
George Washington Johnson (c. October 1846 – January 23, 1914) was a singer and pioneer sound recording artist, the first African American recording star of the phonograph. Johnson was born in Virginia, either in Fluvanna County or near Wheatland in Loudoun County. His father may have been a slave; if so, he was likely freed in 1853. From an early age, Johnson was raised near Wheatland as the companion and servant of a prosperous white farmer's son. During his time with this family, he developed his musical ability and even learned to read and write, which was unusual for a black child in Virginia before the American Civil War. Johnson later worked as a laborer, and in his late twenties he moved to New York City. By the late 1870s he was making his living as a street entertainer in New York, specializing in whistling popular tunes.
In the earliest days of the recording industry, every record was a "master". A singer with a strong voice could make 3 or 4 usable recordings at once, with as many machines running simultaneously with their recording horns pointed towards the singer's mouth. Johnson would sometimes sing the same song over and over again in the recording studio fifty or more times a day.
By 1895, Johnson's two tunes "The Whistling Coon" and "The Laughing Song" were the best-selling recordings in the United States. The total sales of his wax cylinders between 1890 and 1895 have been estimated at 25,000 to 50,000, each one recorded individually by Johnson. Remarkably, the New Jersey record company marketed Johnson as a black man, during an era when much of American life was strongly segregated by race.
This brown wax cylinder features George W. Johnson's legendary recording The Laughing Song. The cylinder is in visually good condition with some light mold spots; no cracks. Please look at the accompanying photos for a good idea of what the cylinder looks like. It does come with a case but the case is unrelated to the recording. This is a record which should be in every collection due to it's historical content. Buyer will include $5 for shipping (including packing materials).
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