The Gramophone Co., Ltd., Calcutta

The Gramophone Co., Ltd factory was located in Sealdah, nearby the Sealdah Railway Station, located at 139 Beliaghata Road, Calcutta. Between 1902 and 1908, when the parent company in London operated in the name of The Gramophone And Typewriter Ltd., all pressings of ‘Gramophone’ disc records of Indian repertoire made by the company were manufactured at the Deutsche Grammophon, A.G., factory at Hanover, Germany. In January 1908, the name of the company reverted back to its original title of The Gramophone Company, Limited, as did the branch in Calcutta. The manufacturing of disc records began in July 1908 at the Sealdah factory. On 18 December 1908, the ‘official’ opening of the Sealdah factory was celebrated with an ‘at home’ function which featured a concert ‘in the tent’ by Miss Gauhar Jan of Calcutta, who was first recorded by The Gramophone And Typewriter Ltd., on 11th November 1902. In early 1965, the assets and operations of the Calcutta branch of The Gramophone Co. Ltd., Hayes were transferred to The Gramophone Company Of India (Private) Limited. The Gramophone Co., Ltd. legal entity was renamed EMI Records Ltd. in 1973.