Twentieth Century (BC) Record

This was a line of cylinders produced by the Columbia Phonograph Company Gen'l between 1905-1909 that increased playing time from 2 to 3 minutes by extending the length of the cylinder from the traditional four-inch length to a six-inch length. These records could be used only on special Twentieth Century phonographs. Reports of the period note that the machines (which employed a mechanical friction amplifier for increased volume) were popular in theaters and dance halls. The first machines and cylinders were given the designation of "BC", but soon were marketed under the name "Twentieth Century" to capitalize on the new century. These cylinders were released in small groups almost each month from July of 1905 to July of 1908, using the numbering series starting with 85000 and going through 85189, although not all numbers were used. A few were also issued in numbers from 72500 to 72510. Twentieth Century cylinders sold poorly and Columbia scrapped the series by the summer of 1908, although they continued to produce records by special order until 1909. Few examples of these exist in playable condition today, due to ravages of mold and mildew and the brittle condition of the records.