author
Victor Talking Machine Company
A giant of the early sound industry, this company helped turn recorded music from a novelty into a fixture of everyday life. Best known for the Victrola and the famous "His Master's Voice" image, it became one of the defining names of the phonograph era.
1 Audiobook
How To Get the Most Out of Your Victrola
by Victor Talking Machine Company
About the author
Founded in 1901 and based in Camden, New Jersey, the Victor Talking Machine Company was one of the most important American makers of phonographs and records in the early 20th century. Under founder Eldridge R. Johnson, it grew quickly and became closely associated with home listening at a time when recorded sound was transforming entertainment.
Victor is especially remembered for popularizing the Victrola, a phonograph design that helped make the machine more practical and appealing for the home. The company also became famous for using the "His Master's Voice" trademark, the image of a dog listening to a gramophone, which became one of the most recognizable symbols in music history.
By the 1920s, Victor was a dominant force in the recording business, working with major performers and producing records on a huge scale. In 1929, it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and became RCA Victor, linking its name permanently to the next chapter of recorded music and broadcasting history.