Donalda 




I put this together into a coherent story for "Antique Phonograph News" in Sept. 2014.  It is online here: http://www.capsnews.org/apn2014-5.htm

Donalda seems to be an in-house brand, made by one or more manufacturers, for the Hudson's Bay Company and sold out of their 'department' stores west of Ontario.  A possible supplier, being local to Winnipeg, would be the Chopin Piano and Talking Machine Co. The Donalda surprisingly had a version with an electric motor.

Like the European 'Melba' marque, they may be named after a notable, local (to Canada) opera singer, Pauline Donalda (b Lightstone).   Ms. Donalda went to Paris and studied voice in 1902 on a grant from Donald A. Smith (Lord Strathcona) who at the time was Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company.  She later went under a stage name honoring her benefactor. ( info from Encyclopedia of Music in Canadahttp://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emc/pauline-donalda )

Picture courtesy wikipedia:



The email received that started this page:

My mother bought a cabinet gramophone, around 50 years ago, from a Salvation Army Store in Winnipeg, Manitoba,. It stands on legs, has storage for records on the left side and a drawer on the bottom. It is marked with the Hudson Bay Company Logo on the inside, and also a Donalda logo as well.


Lynn Houde

Pictures of Lynn's console Donalda:
 


 
















KW found the following adverts:

Saskatoon Phoenix, August 11, 1922 pg. 12 :


      

Details taken of the models below


   



Calgary Daily Herald February 3, 1923, pg. 24 has reference to a 'Puritan' model:



Calgary Daily Herald January 5, 1923, pg. 24 has reference to a 'Moderne' model:



Calgary Daily Herald
October 16, 1922, pg. 18 has reference to a 'console' model with an electric motor:




Calgary Herald September 10, 1923, pg. 16 pictures the 'electrically operated console':


 


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