Enrico Caruso RCA not for sale??

[aa battery]

I have a 78 purchased years ago and im confused. This is a demo that wuz done in San Francisco in 1904. It has his autograph but nobody knows or says it exsists Now Fresno State Un. would give me a $5000 tax right off but wat the heck. I wuz advised not to show it Any body here know where I can find out about its history? Oh by the way I bought it with other records when I wuz 25. Now I be almost 60. One sided so I hope maybe someone can come close. Thanks

 

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[Sheldon J]

photos would help...

 

[NHBandit]

I have an old Victrola I bought many years ago and it came with probably 100 records. Pretty cool to listen to and inside the cabinet I even found a card where it was given to a lady as a Christmas gift in 1905. I'm pretty sure there's at least one by Caruso though not autographed. Nearly all of those old records were single sided so that's nothing rare and Caruso was hugely popular and made alot of records. So I'm thinking that any added value with yours is entirely in what the signature is worth. IF you can prove it's real. Hope this helps.

 

[NHBandit]

photos would help...

But "they" told him not to show pictures of it.... lol

 

[Mackaydon]

Formal standardization — at 78.26 RPM — didn't come until 1925, when the phonograph was married to the electric motor. 78.26 happened to be the speed a common, mass-produced 3600 RPM motor would yield if fitted with an equally common 46:1 gear. Prior to that year, the RPMs varied between 70 and 80. If I had the disc, I'd first get the record authenticated as to being an original (versus a copy) and also get the signature authenticated. Once authentication is conformed, I'd get it professionally appraised.
Don.....

 

[aa battery]

Formal standardization — at 78.26 RPM — didn't come until 1925, when the phonograph was married to the electric motor. 78.26 happened to be the speed a common, mass-produced 3600 RPM motor would yield if fitted with an equally common 46:1 gear. Prior to that year, the RPMs varied between 70 and 80. If I had the disc, I'd first get the record authenticated as to being an original (versus a copy) and also get the signature authenticated. Once authentication is conformed, I'd get it professionally appraised.
Don.....

thanks

 

[aa battery]

heres da photo

 

[Mackaydon]

Here's what it may sound like:
https://ia600301.us.archive.org/9/i...elli/CarusoTostilyrRizzelli-AddioGood-bye.mp3
Don....

 

[NHBandit]

Pretty cool. No idea on value though.

 

[tamrock]

Here's what it may sound like:
https://ia600301.us.archive.org/9/i...elli/CarusoTostilyrRizzelli-AddioGood-bye.mp3
Don....

Thanks! Don, I stared out the window and cried through half the song

 

[Mackaydon]

I just listened to it again and have no problem in understanding he had the best tenor voice in his day.
I hope the OP's record is an original. I'd consider it 'priceless' if it were.
Don.......

 

[tamrock]

I know "its beautiful" to the point of tears. I believe I saw an episode of antiques road show and a fellow brought in a platinum patek philippe pocketwatch once owned by Enrico Caruso. It was gorgeous, but I could be thinking of some other high end pocket watch from some famous other person

 

[aa battery]

found out this might be a private recording

 

[aa battery]

had 2 people look at it and they said its a demo but no worth

 

[packerbacker]

nice score battery.....I'm bettin' it's quite valuable but I'm usually wrong if that helps.

 

[bofusmosby]

First of all, the Victor company had nothing to do with RCA at that time, so it is not RCA. The Victor Victrola company had a contract with Caruso, and when someone bought one of their Victrolas, they gave away a free Caruso record. Most are not valuable for this reason, but I believe that yours is a different story. It might be a one-of-a-kind, which would make it quite valuable.

About the standardized 78 speed, all the early phonographs had a variable speed contol, which could be adjusted to get the correct speed.

 

[aa battery]

First of all, the Victor company had nothing to do with RCA at that time, so it is not RCA. The Victor Victrola company had a contract with Caruso, and when someone bought one of their Victrolas, they gave away a free Caruso record. Most are not valuable for this reason, but I believe that yours is a different story. It might be a one-of-a-kind, which would make it quite valuable.

About the standardized 78 speed, all the early phonographs had a variable speed contol, which could be adjusted to get the correct speed.

thanks I feel the same way. its one strange item