Online  Discography L.B.

Acknowledgements:
Information on French trademarks obtained from Henri Chamoux

Introductory notes:
The basic idea of a gramophone postcard is to glue a single sided miniature disc record onto a postcard and punch a center hole through both card and disc. For further details see the exploratory history of the phono postcard

L.B. (Louis Boduin):
Probably the first company in France to manufacture real phono cards on a commercial scale was E.P.I. In December 1908 E.P.I. (Épis de blé) was registered as a trademark in Paris for the Compagnie Générale d' Electricité. However, already in July 1908 Louis Boduin registered Ebonitine for the strange purpose of "être apposée sur des boites ou récipients quelconques contenant un produit destiné à lubrifier les disques des machines parlantes". The illustration that goes with the application depicts a disc record "Ebonitine", the slogan "to be used for needle cut and sapphire cut discs" as well as the inventor's initials - LB. It is not presently known whether Monsieur Louis Boduin, of 7 Galerie du Commerce, at Amiens, ever produced this device, nor whether he manufactured any disc records. But about 20 years later the initials "LB" turn up again on gramophone postcards, at about the same time when Raphael Tuck produced his cards in England. Although Gustave and Desmond A. Tuck applied for a patent in England in July 1929 (accepted on january 1930), the relationship between LB and Tuck is unclear, but it is not unlikely that Tuck obtained their knowhow from Boduin. .

Label listing:
LB Cartes Postales Disques
 

It is not presently possible to determine the total number of cards produced, and information on matrix numbers etc can only be derived from physical autopsy of the artifacts. If you have additions or corrections: Please contact us by e-mail: Rainer E. Lotz