TheRed1
Console Conservationist
Figured this subject was probably worthy of its own thread:
Without question both companies were courting the same market segment. Obviously E. H. Scott had a head start and, as evidenced by their elaborate ads and the location of the E. H. Scott Radio Salon in the Rockefeller Center, much more cash at their disposal. Philharmonic's ads were a bit more restrained; perhaps better targeted at New York's cultured elite. To me, the Scott ads have a bit of a gee-whiz-bang, Midwestern flavor. The Scott ads were generally located in with the International News, which makes sense given their well-deserved DX reputation. Philharmonic ads were generally placed in the Music and Radio sections.
In many ways it does seem as if Fisher was emulating Scott but with a greater emphasis on fidelity, somewhat lower prices and no shortwave. The real zinger came in 1944 when Philharmonic went to trademark their name and E. H. Scott filed an opposition through the Patent Office claiming prior use in commerce. Of course, by the time the case was heard in 1946 Scott hadn't used the name Philharmonic since 1942; whereas the Philharmonic Radio Co. was using it on items they produced for the Government during the war. I don't know the details of the case but Philharmonic was granted a trademark in 1947. Scott claimed to have first used the name Philharmonic in 1937 but I can find no mention of that model until late in 1938 buy which time Philharmonic Radio Co. had run run a number of ads. One of these rainy days I'll wander downtown to the Patent Office and try to find out more details.
Your really have to wonder if some of the similarities weren't calculated, though. The script "Custom-Built" on the tuning dial of my '41 Philharmonic is almost identical to that found on some E. H. Scott tuning dials. Of course, McMurdo-Silver used the phrase "Custom Built" in their advertising, too; so obviously Scott didn't have exclusive usage rights. I'm will to believe that many of the similarities were coincidental but . . . not all of them.
This is a subject that has caught my interest, as well. I recently put together a notebook with all 44 Philharmonic Radio Co. ads (Jan. 2, 1938 - Dec. 6, 1942) AND all 50 E. H. Scott Radio ads from roughly the same period (Feb. 2, 1936 - Nov. 15, 1942) to compare and contrast. These were all ads that ran in the NY Times - some of the parallels are uncanny.I am still struck by how E.H. Scott looking the Early Fishers were.
And no I am not saying Fisher was being a copy cat. Although at the end of the war with all the turmoil swirling with Mr. Scott I can see where a void was being forecast in the high end market.
Sorry for the thread wander. I just find this fascinating as I have E.H. Scott stuff here and have always been in awe of it.
Frannie
Without question both companies were courting the same market segment. Obviously E. H. Scott had a head start and, as evidenced by their elaborate ads and the location of the E. H. Scott Radio Salon in the Rockefeller Center, much more cash at their disposal. Philharmonic's ads were a bit more restrained; perhaps better targeted at New York's cultured elite. To me, the Scott ads have a bit of a gee-whiz-bang, Midwestern flavor. The Scott ads were generally located in with the International News, which makes sense given their well-deserved DX reputation. Philharmonic ads were generally placed in the Music and Radio sections.
In many ways it does seem as if Fisher was emulating Scott but with a greater emphasis on fidelity, somewhat lower prices and no shortwave. The real zinger came in 1944 when Philharmonic went to trademark their name and E. H. Scott filed an opposition through the Patent Office claiming prior use in commerce. Of course, by the time the case was heard in 1946 Scott hadn't used the name Philharmonic since 1942; whereas the Philharmonic Radio Co. was using it on items they produced for the Government during the war. I don't know the details of the case but Philharmonic was granted a trademark in 1947. Scott claimed to have first used the name Philharmonic in 1937 but I can find no mention of that model until late in 1938 buy which time Philharmonic Radio Co. had run run a number of ads. One of these rainy days I'll wander downtown to the Patent Office and try to find out more details.
Your really have to wonder if some of the similarities weren't calculated, though. The script "Custom-Built" on the tuning dial of my '41 Philharmonic is almost identical to that found on some E. H. Scott tuning dials. Of course, McMurdo-Silver used the phrase "Custom Built" in their advertising, too; so obviously Scott didn't have exclusive usage rights. I'm will to believe that many of the similarities were coincidental but . . . not all of them.