YUGOSLAV 78s: RECONSTRUCTING MARKET DYNAMICS presented by Dora Dunatov

YUGOSLAV 78s: RECONSTRUCTING MARKET DYNAMICS
presented by Dora Dunatov

This presentation draws on Ph.D. research that explored the 78 RPM record market in pre-1960s Yugoslavia and its international connections, synthesizing key insights into market’s development and global influences. It focuses on three major record companies based in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital.

The first Yugoslav record company, Edison Bell Penkala, founded in 1926 as a subsidiary of the English company Edison Bell, made a glamorous entrance into the market, showcasing a diverse array of domestic and international recordings, lavish advertisements, elegant dance competitions, and prominent musicians, all under the leadership of British director Abraham Bernard Goodman.

In 1933, Elektroton, a smaller family-run company, emerged, primarily featuring Italian and German recordings. Although Elektroton thrived during World War II, it faced significant changes in the post-war period when the communist government seized it, replacing it in 1947 with Jugoton, a state-run enterprise closely tied to the domestic radio industry.

Through extensive archival research and ethnographic fieldwork conducted in parts of Croatia, Serbia, and the US, this study uncovers the strategies these companies employed to navigate a still developing record market during a period of heavy political turmoil. It also reveals a complex network of influential industry players and highlights the unique ways local and global forces shaped the Yugoslav music scene.

By tracing the evolution of Yugoslav 78 RPM record market, the presentation offers fresh insights into a vibrant yet under-documented chapter of music history, contributing to a broader understanding of the cultural, political and economic dynamics of the period.

THE ASSOCIATION FOR RECORDED SOUND COLLECTIONS (https://arsc-audio.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and study of sound recordings, in all genres of music and speech, in all formats, and from all periods. ARSC is unique in bringing together private individuals and institutional professionals—everyone with a serious interest in recorded sound.