Coliseum - Biography

Biography - Coliseum

UK

Coliseum Records were originally founded in Germany in 1912, part of the Beka label group,which was in turn part of the Lindström group. The records were only issued in Britain, and then only by an appointed sole agent rather than any Beka UK company. The original catalogue list was announced in trade journals in March 1912 with Lloyd Thomas of North London as stockist, but in June 1912 the original list was published again, with the Coliseum Records being advertised as belonging to Cooper Bros. of 17 Clerkenwell Road, London, E.C.

The recordings were taken from other Lindstrom group labels and started a 10-inch series with catalogue number 100 priced 1/6d. Originally pressed in Prussia (until c. 400), they were later pressed at Lindstrom's Hertford,UK factory. This series also contained recordings from Fonotipia, which were given purple labels and priced at 2/6d.

In August 1912 12-inch records were introduced at 2/6d, starting at No.1. By 1916 all numbers in the range 1-999 had been used, and the series continued from 5000.

In 1916 all Lindstrom and Fonotipia UK assets were liquidated under the 'Trading with the Enemy' Acts. The Hertford Record Co. Ltd. was set up in 1917 to control these assets, including Lindstrom's Hertford factory. Coliseum records continued to be issued until 1920, with the 10-inch series reaching 1156, although a special series of George Formby Senior, using 1200 numbers, had been released in 1914.

In 1920, with a new series starting from 1200, the label used recordings of American artists from Gennett, Emerson, and American Vocalion as well as British and European artists. Many appear under pseudonyms.

By the mid 1920s the company was experiencing financial problems and Coliseum (Wm. Cooper Bros. Ltd) was wound up by the courts in July 1927.

Notes
From 128 green & from 1967 brown/white labels.
F & R series exist as well.
The F series started probably in 1911 at 500.
Nothing is known about the R series.
There are also 12" records in 4000, 4500. Both started in 1921.

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