Columbia Phonograph Company Gen'l

The Columbia Phonograph Company, General, US record company incorporated 21st May 1884.
Also appears as:
- Columbia Phonograph Co. Gen'l
- Columbia Phonograph Co Gnl

Incorporated in 1884 by Edward Easton, through the consolidation of Columbia, in the United States, UK and certain other countries, with regards to Gramophone Records.

In 1897 European headquarters are established in Paris, and in 1900 a sales office Columbia Phonograph Co. Ltd. in London. Towards the end of 1900 London became the European headquarters.

The company established a presence in Argentina in 1906 with local importers. In 1907 or 1908 the company enters a deal with Argentinean record store Casa Tagini for sales exclusivity in exchange for Repetto recording and sending was masters for pressing in the USA, pressed labels were Fonogramas Marconi). During the onset of the first world war, the company goes bankrupt and Columbia records aren't pressed again until the 20s.

In 1913 Columbia Phonograph Co. Gen'l is renamed Columbia Graphophone Company Ltd. in the UK on the 3th Feb 1917. In the course of the same year "CGC" transferred to this newly established wholly owned subsidiary the trademark rights (ownership) to the "Columbia" imprint. in the UK & Europe.

In Dec 1917 Columbia Graphophone Manufacturing Company is established in the US, this company acquires American Graphophone Company holding in Columbia Graphophone Company. In 1919 CGC reassigned its trademarks containing the word Columbia and its holding in T.G.CL. to this company. In 1922 C.G.C.L. is divested & acquired by Constructive Finance Company Ltd. for $500.000, a company established by Louis Sterling for a management buyout. As part of this acquisition on the 16th Nov 1922 it was agreed that C.G.C. L. should be at liberty to operate and use the "Columbia" mark in specified territories, including UK, Ireland, the continents of Europe and Africa, and certain Asian, Australasian and Pacific countries, with "CGC" at liberty to operate in the rest of the world. Due to this demerger the ownership of American & European "Columbia" trademarks were now separated.

In 1924 there was a reconstruction of the Columbia Graphophone Manufacturing Company, as a result of which the Columbia trademarks became vested in a newly formed American entity established as Columbia Phonograph Company, Inc.. In 1925 C.G.C.L. subsequently acquired a controlling interest in this US company.

On the 20th April 1931 the Columbia Graphophone Co. Ltd. was merged with Columbia Recording Corporation (which becomes the owner of the US Columbia trademarks)