Hidden Treasures of the Collection: Brunswick Panatrope Records

Two months ago, I wrote this post about Staatsburgh's Brunswick Panatrope that is located in the Main Hall.  This music player, which dates to 1927, has one original record inside the player.  Was this disc the last piece of music the family listened to while using the Panatrope?  What else did they listen to?  I always wondered about the rest of their music collection and I am happy to report that I discovered two binders of additional records in storage!  What can these records tell us about the family's musical preferences and the role of music in their lives?

Staatsburgh's Brunswick Panatrope

These two record holders each contain slots for 10 records, but neither was full and there were 11 discs in total. The front cover says "Brunswick Phonographs and Records" and the spine of one has a 'C' while the other has a 'D.' This leads me to believe these binders were part of at least a four piece set. Perhaps 'A' and 'B' were removed by the family or perhaps they are elsewhere in the mansion unbeknownst to current staff.  If I find something new, I will be sure to post an update!

The record index inside each of the holders was left blank.

There was a variety of different music on these records including vocal, instrumental, piano solo, and music for dancing.  In fact, at least three records were labeled as specifically for dancing and included both waltzes and foxtrots.  We may wonder whether the Mills family used these recordings for dancing or if they just enjoyed the tunes.  During the 1920s, Staatsburgh was used most frequently in the fall by Ogden Mills and his daughter Beatrice's family who were visiting from Europe.  It is possible that his granddaughters, Lady Moira and Lady Eileen Forbes, were learning to dance as part of their education.  

One of the records was a 1926 recording of  Hawaiian guitars for dancing; a waltz entitled "South Sea Dream Girl" and a foxtrot entitled "Sunny Hawaii" by Palakiko and Paaluhi.  There is little known about the musicians except that John K. Paaluhi (1887-1943) was born in Hawaii and moved to New York at age 20.  His wife, Franzis Paaluhi, a singer, was not native to Hawaii, but also had a career in Hawaiian music.  

In 1906, the Victor Talking Machine Company first made recordings in Hawaii and Hawaiian music became more popular with mainstream American audiences.  It was not unusual to find recordings of Hawaiian guitar music in 1920s record collections.  

The majority of the recordings in Staatsburgh's record collection are songs that would be unfamiliar to most.  Only those with a strong background in 1920s music would know artists like the Yacht Club Boys or Sam Coslow.  These recordings provide a sound that evokes a specific time and place.  There were two recordings, however, of music that would be familiar to the modern ear.  One, the "Blue Danube Waltz", composed by Johann Strauss in 1866 has been re-recorded numerous times over the years.  Our version from 1927 was performed by the Fisher's Dance Orchestra.  Have a listen to this timeless classic!

Blue Danube Waltz Performed by the Fisher's Dance Orchestra, 1927

The second record that provides a familiar tune is a 1929 Diva Records recording of "Singin' in the Rain" from The Hollywood Review of 1929.  Now most people associate this song with the 1952 movie Singin' in the Rain starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, which depicts show business in the 1920s.  However, the song was first performed in The Hollywood Review of 1929, which was released as a film, but was part variety show and part musical extravaganza.  

The Hollywood Revue of 1929

The show featured Joan Crawford singing and dancing, a comedy routine from Laurel & Hardy, as well as two performances of "Singin' in the Rain" first from Cliff Edwards (better known as the voice of Pinocchio) and then from the entire cast.  The version of the song in our collection was performed by Jack Miller.

Singing in the Rain performed by Jack Miller, 1929

Ten of the records in storage were from the late 1920s, which matches the date of the Panatrope, the P-14 model from 1927.  One record, a Decca Records recording of Dick Robertson and his Orchestra performing Ferdinand the Bull and Mr. Wu Chinese Laundry Blues, was about 10 years newer.  The record sleeve also remains, which shows the 57th street address for Decca Records in New York City.

Decca Records, released May 20, 1938

The record was released on May 20, 1938., which post dates the Mills family residency at Staatsburgh.  Given that Ogden L. Mills died in October 1937 and his sister Gladys Mills Phipps officially donated the property to New York State in June 1938, it is unlikely this record was part of the family's original collection purchased at the time they acquired the Panatrope.  Although the Mills family no longer occupied Staatsburgh in 1938, they still had staff onsite caring for the house and property.  This outlier disc could have been purchased and played by someone doing housekeeping.  It would certainly make cleaning a bit more lively!  But alas, it is unlikely we will ever know more about the origins of the record.  Instead we can to chalk it up to one of many unanswered questions about Staatsburgh's collections... 

Ferdinand the Bull, Performed by Dick Robertson & His Orchestra, 1938

Since Staatsburgh's Panatrope is part of the site's historical collections, we would not try to make it functional and use it to play records.  Thankfully, these 1920s records were numerous and countless others have played and recorded them on YouTube.  It is lucky that we are still able to hear much of this music from a century ago!