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Records

Colonial & Colonial Perophone

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Colonial and Colonial Perophone records were manufactured in Germany by Homophon in the period immediately before WWI. They were made on behalf of Lockwoods of City Road London, for export only. This is generally believed to mean they were exported to Australia.

I have not seen examples of enough to know for certain, but it seems likely that the earlier records were "Colonial" and the "Colonial Perophone" ones came a little later on.  "Perophone" records (also excessively rare) are probably a next phase; they appear to have been pressed by Favorite, based on the two examples reported to me. I have listed these at the foot of this page.

Incidentally when I say "seen" in the above text, I have only seen label scans; as they were not sold in the U.K., I have never actually physically seen any of these, even in over 50 years of collecting 78s.

Thanks to Adam Miller for providing the Colonial label scan, and to Bill Dean-Myatt for the Colonial Perophone scan.

 

Please e-mail me if you can help me fill in the gaps in any of these series.

My thanks to the following for providing inforamation:
Mike Atkin, Norman Field, Paul Kilmartin, Adam Miller, Richard Prout

Page last updated on: July 08, 2024

Frank Andrews reported that Colonial 303 was highest known to him. Unfortunately I don't have the information he gathered! 

These first sides are labelled as "Colonial" records.

Cat No Matrix Title Labelled Artists  Date Codes
250        
251        
252        
253 952
6192
Colonial Army March
Old Daddy Peg Leg
Band of the Imperial Lancers
Colonial Orchestra
301009
23609
         
261 1176
1475
Misere from "Il Trovatore"
Polonaise from "Mignon"
Solo and Chorus of Royal Opera House, Paris
Madame Christine
261008
19309
         
277 6057
6191
New Colonial March
The 3rd Dragoon Guard's March
The Band of The Imperial Lancers 271010 / G 21 S
1079 / E 14 R
278 6013
6109
Wee MacGregor
Coronation Bells
The Empire Prize Band 20109 / E 28 11 ? (E28H?)
131010 / D 16 S
         
295 801
11898
Circus Galop
Post In The Forest
Xylophone Solo with Orchestra (= Albert Müller)
Cornet Solo with Orchestra
29123A / E 9 U
22610A / F 8 D
296        
297        
298   Pick Of The Basket, No. 1 (intro. Sword Motif from Valkyrie; Salut D'Amour; Merry Widow Waltz; Handel's Largo; Intermezzo Cavalleria) [anon] (= Homophone Orchestra)  
299        
300        
301        
302        
303 6642
6775
The Miner's Dream Of Home
Thora
Harry Thornton (baritone)
Bernard Turner (tenor)
4111A / K 15 T
91210A / D 22 S
         
    The records below have been reported as "Colonial Perophone"  
         
360   Empire Holiday March Empire Prize Band  
         
470 60223
60337
Why Can't We Have The Sea In London?
I Was Dancing Around With Matilda
Billy Williams
Jack Pleasants
291111
12312
471 60335
60336
Cohen On The 'Phone
On Strike
Harry Bluff (talking) 3212
9212
         

The following are the few "Perophone" records known to me. They may fit into the above listing, but these are pressed by Favorite, rather than Homophon.

Cat No Matrix Title Labelled Artists  Date Codes
         
454 1136-b-
4152-t-
The Dreaming Snowdrop
Sunbeam Polka
La Florize (tubaphone) (= Albert Muller?)
La Florize (tubaphone) (= Billy Whitlock)
N/A
         
528 1538
1622
Pilgrim's Chorus ("Tannhauser" - Wagner)
Coronation March ("The Prophet" - Meyerbeer)
Imperial Military Band  N/A