LIFE

“George Werner and Fred Burt, connected with the Recording Department of the National Phonograph Co. returned to New York from a three-months’ visit to Havana, where they made over 300 masters of Cuban selections by native artists. Their efforts were directed by Rafael Cabanas, manager of the Mexico office of this company, who made a special trip to Cuba for this purpose”.

National Phonograph Company: This company was incorporated in New Jersey on January 27, 1896, to succeed the North American Phonograph Company and to return control of both the marketing and manufacturing of the phonograph to Edison. Within six months of the formation of the company, its profits were assigned to Edison in exchange for his technical improvements in the phonograph. Its foreign department, which also supervised the overseas interests of the Edison Manufacturing Company and the Bates Manufacturing Company, operated distribution offices, recording studios, and factories for manufacturing phonograph records in Great Britain, Germany, France, and Belgium, along with distribution subsidiaries in Australia and Mexico. In February 1911 the company was reorganized as part of the newly formed Thomas A. Edison, Inc.

Mexican National Phonograph Company: This company was formed in 1906, when a resident manager (Rafael Cabanas) was appointed in Mexico City, to sell phonographs, records, and other products. The company's office in Mexico City was closed in February 1911, with provisions that local dealers would thereafter be supplied directly from West Orange. The company was legally dissolved in September 1914.


George T. (= J.) WERNER
SS "KRONPRINZ WILHELM"
dep. Cherbourg, FRANCE: 8 Feb 1905
arr. New York, USA: 15 Feb 1905
final destination: Orange, New Jersey



George WERNER (33y)
+ Fred BURT (20y; single)
SS "THE MORRO CASTLE"
dep. Havana, CUBA: 24 Feb 1906
arr. New York, USA: 27 Feb 1906
WRONG IMAGE SHOWN



George WERNER (37y)
SS "MEXICO"
dep. Havana, CUBA: 18 July 1907
arr. New York, USA: 26 July 1907



George J. WERNER (33y)
+ Frederick C. BURT (23y)
SS "MEXICO"
dep. Vera Cruz, MEXICO: 16 July 1908
arr. New York, USA: 24 July 1908



George WERNER (34y)
+ Fredrick (sic) BURT (24y)
SS "MONTEREY"
dep. Vera Cruz, MEXICO: 20 Aug 1909
arr. New York, USA: 27 Aug 1909



George G. (= J.) WERNER (38y)
SS "KRONPRINZESSIN CECILIE"
dep. Bremen, GERMANY: 7 Apr 1914
arr. New York, USA: 15 Apr 1914
address: Ellen Club, Orange, NJ

1870 CENSUS (8 July 1870):
Charles F. WERNER (32y) gunsmith
Louisa WERNER (30y)
- Caroline (11y)
- Ellanorah (= Eleonora) (9y)
- Charles (7y)
- Mary E. (5y)
- Flora (3y)
- George (9m) b. Sept [1869]

1880 CENSUS:
Chas. F. WERNER (42y) machinist
Louisa (40y)
- Caroline (21y)
- Charles (17y)
- Mary (16y)
- George (11y)
- Adelide (9y)
- Irena (5y)

1900 CENSUS (South Main Street):
Chas. F. WERNER
Leusia (= Louisa) E. WERNER
- Imie (= Irene) W.
- Arthur H.
- Clifford G.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1900 CENSUS (New Jersey, Essex Co., Orange City, 20 North Jefferson Street)
George WARNES (sic = WERNER) (29y) (b. Sept 1870 (= 1869), ......., New Jersey) electrician
Anna WERNER (26y) (b. .. Oct 1873, ......, New Jersey)
- Mary L. (7y) (b. .. Feb 1893, NJ)
- Frank (4y) (b. .. Nov 1895, NJ)

1910 CENSUS (Orange, Essex, NJ):
Charles T. (sic) Werner (72y)
Louise E. Werner (70y)
- Clifford J. Werner (25y)
- Arthur A. Werner (30y)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1910 CENSUS (New Jersey, Essex Co., Orange City, 148 Lincoln Ave.):
George J. WERNER (38y) recording, phonograph
Anna WERNER (35y)
- Marion (16y)
- Frank (14y)
- Anna (8y)

1920 CENSUS (Orange, Essex, NJ):
Charles F. WERNER (82y)
Louise WERNER (78y)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1920 CENSUS (New Jersey, Essex Co., Orange City, 3 Centre St.):
George J. WERNER (50y) (b. NJ) clerk, factory
Nellie F. WERNER (35y) (b. NJ)

1930 CENSUS (New Jersey, Essex Co., Orange City, 96 Ward St.):
George J. WERNER (60y) b. NJ recorder, phonograph
Nellie F. WERNER (47y) b. NJ
- Eleanor G. (6y) b. NJ

There is a picture of George Werner together with Frederick C. Burt on website The Edison Phonograph Works with the caption:
This photo of a 1909 Native American recording session with Edison Engineers George Werner and Fred C Burt shows the rarely seen Edison studio master recording machine which in this case is an Edison Class M electric phonograph. Edison Triumphs were also used as master recorders at Edison's recording studio. The white master cylinders are of a similar composition as the ones made today by the North American Phonograph Company. You will note the engineer adjusting the depth of cut with a special adjustment screw. He is adjusting the advance ball, a little saphire on a screw, that raises and lowers the cutting stylus into the wax blank.

Also a picture of Werner and Burt on Allan Sutton's Mainspring Press website: INSIDE THE EARLY RECORDING STUDIOS. Rare glimpes inside early recording studios, from the collections of the Edison National Historic Site and the Library of Congress
Caption: Edison staffers George Werner and Fred C. Burt in a Columbia Street recording room in West Orange, New Jersey (January 22, 1917). By this time, the West Orange studio was used primarily for experimental and dubbing work, while regular commercial recording sessions were assigned to the New York studio. (ENHS)