Black Swan Records - 1921-1924: From a swanky swan to a dead duck.
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Open Access Location
Authors
Davis, D.
De Loo, I.
Keywords
Recording industry
Black musicians
Jazz
Afro-American business
Racial prejudice
Discrimination
Business failure
Black musicians
Jazz
Afro-American business
Racial prejudice
Discrimination
Business failure
Description of form
Publisher
Rights
TBA
Rights holder
Issue Date
2002
Peer-reviewed status
Type
Working Papers
Abstract
In 1921, Harry Herbert Pace founded a highly influential record company, the Pace Phonograph Corporation, in Harlem, New York. Pace both initiated and operated the famous Black Swan label, which was one of the first to enable black musicians to record music in their own style. Many famous black artists, such as Ethel Waters, Fletcher Henderson, the Harmony Five and Alberta Hunter made their early appearances on the Black Swan label. In its heyday of 1921-1922, the company was the most successful Afro-American owned business of its time. Several factors that led to the company's demise after its initial success and rapid growth can be identified. In addition to economic and technological factors, it is likely that poor management accounting, underestimation of overheads, under capitalization and 'ad hoc' decision making all led to financial distress. Racial prejudice and discrimination also played a crucial role. By today's standards, the company's fall in 1924 would have been easily foreseen, but in the business climate of the 1920s, better management may have been no more successful in keeping the company afloat. Nevertheless, today's recording industry, particularly in the field of jazz, owes much to the pioneering work of Harry Pace and the Black Swan label.
Citation
Davis, D., & De Loo, I. (2002). Black Swan Records - 1921-1924: From a swanky swan to a dead duck (Working Papers No. 1-02). Lower Hutt, New Zealand: The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand.