Maison de la Bonne Presse

 
La Maison de la Bonne Presse (House of the Good News) was founded shortly after the 1870 war (between France and Prussia) by the religious order Augustins de l'Assomption. At the fall of the 19th century, Father Emmanuel d'Alzon (1810-1880), founder of the religious congregation, wanted to participate in a transformation of society. He believed that to help society develop and evolve, people must affirm the rights of God in order to give meaning to Human Rights. La Maison de la Bonne Presse had three main aims: teaching, pilgrimage and press/publishing.

In July 1873 : La Maison de la Bonne Presse - created and published the magazine “Pèlerin”. Within the following two years, the magazine circulation grew from 4,000 to 80,000 copies per issue. And in 1883 a daily newspaper, La Croix, was launched, catering the information and cultural needs of the French Catholic public. Over the following decades other newspapers and magazines were added and circulation grew.

The Maison de la Bonne Presse, created a “visual education” department in May 1896. Created by Vincent de Paul Bailly, the department was managed by G.-Michel Coissac. Its purpose was to counter secular propaganda by means of the magic lantern and the film projector. In 1897, Bonne Presse made its debut in film production with a Passion du Christ (in twelve scenes) directed by Kircher, which was followed by other religious films during the 1900s and 1910s. Quite recently a cache of films from the earliest years of cinema taken in the ‘Bible lands’ has been discovered. This collection of some eighty or so films included both actualities and dramatised scenes of the nativity. Investigation by film historians has proved that these were a product of the Roman Catholic promotional organisation La Maison Bonne Presse. The Abbés Mulsant and Chevalier visited, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon and later Turkey in 1904 where they made these films.

Missionaries toured through France giving film shows showing the Holy Land, with re-enactments of Bible scenes. By utilizing this astounding new technology of moving pictures, undoubtedly many new converts were created.

Additionally, Maison de la Bonne Presse took advantage of another new technology, the phonograph. It was an obvious new technology that could be used to further spread religion and culture. For example, apart from opera’s and operetta’s the 1901 catalog has 14 cylinders of “Ave Maria”, performed by different leading singers of the time, as well as sacred songs and bible readings.

The phonographs themselves are exceptionally well made, in sizes; standard, inter & concert. One of the most interesting of the phonographs La Maison Bonne Presse made, is the 1904 model that could play both cylinders and discs.

Question: Does anyone know who manufactured these phonographs or did Maison de la Bonne Presse have its own factory?

Ideal Model 1900 - Standard Cylinder

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Ideal Model 1901 - Standard Cylinder

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Ideal Model 1904/5 - Standard & Inter Cylinder

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This phonograph could play both standard size cylinders, as well as - with a slip on adaptor - the Inter size cylinders. Typical to Ideal, the machine has a speed indicator displaying the revolutions per minute of the phonograph. On the plate by the winder one can find the serial number as well as the letters BP in a circle. (BP = Bonne Presse). The machine is designed for a huntsman style horn, as the machine atypically has the controls on the opposite side of the horn connector.

Ideal Model 1900 - Concert Cylinder

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Ideal Model 1900 - Concert Cylinder

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Ideal Model 1904 - Concert Cylinder and Disc Player

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