Corporate Body

Raycophone Ltd (1929 - 1950)

From: November 1929
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
To: 1950

Summary

Raycophone Ltd was founded in November 1929 by Raymond Cottam Allsop to manufacture 'Raycophone' cinema sound equipment. (Raycophone - 'Rayco' from his name and 'phone'). The company also manufactured 'Raycophone' branded radios from 1930 until about 1935.

By June 1937, Raycophone sound-projection systems were installed in 345 cinemas across Australia. From the 1950s the systems were progressively replaced by American Western Electric and RCA systems.

In April 1930, Harringtons Ltd, an Australian photographic supplier since 1899 and radio supplier from the inception of radio in Australia, took over ownership of Raycophone Ltd. Then in 1933, Harringtons Ltd was acquired by Kodak Australasia Ltd.

Subordinate

Kodak (Australasia) Proprietary Limited (2000 - )
Raycophone Ltd, became part of Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd in 1933, when Kodak acquired Harringtons Ltd.

Related People

Allsop, Raymond Cottam (1898 - 1972)
Founder, Director and Chief engineer 1930 - 1945
Bushby, Thomas Robert William (1900 - )
Engineer 1932 - 1936
Craig, Donald (1914 - 2006)
Electrical Fitter 1931 - 1936

Published resources

Resources

IP Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, 'Application: 5205/1936. Title: Variable-density push-pull sound-on-film recording and reproduction', Australian Patent search database, Commonwealth of Australia, 2015, https://ipsearch.ipaustralia.gov.au/patents/1936005205. Details

Ken McInnes

Created: 12 March 2025

EOAS ID: biogs/P007639b.htm

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