[CL210-F] Foreign (1904)
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Description
This folder contains correspondence and other documents relating to the marketing, pricing, and supply of phonographs and cylinder records in Great Britain, Germany, Russia, France, and other countries. Most of the items are letters to and from William E. Gilmore, president of NPCo. Some of the letters were written while Gilmore was in Europe in April, May, and early June. Other correspondents include James H. White, European sales manager; Walter Stevens, manager of the Foreign Department; John R. Schermerhorn, assistant general manager; George Croyden Marks, British patent agent; and Frank L. Dyer, Edison's general counsel. Among the documents for 1904 are letters pertaining to the quality, condition, and origin of phonographs and records offered for sale in Europe, Australia, and Mexico; to litigation with Edison-Bell; and to the activities of former Edison associate George E. Gouraud. There are also documents concerning the manufacture of records in Paris, Berlin, and Brussels under the direction of Edward Riehl. These items include descriptions of the manufacturing process, the ingredients in the wax, and the prices of materials. Other documents pertain to the cancellation of Ludwig Stollwerck's contract with NPCo, the organization of the Edison Gesellschaft in Berlin, and the finances of NPCo, Ltd., in London.
Approximately 15 percent of the documents have been selected. Among the items not selected are letters regarding foreign patent rights, weekly and monthly remittances and accounts, and ongoing litigation over price cutting and the unauthorized use of Edison's name.