Documents - the Jennings Univox, 1953
April 1953. This diagram, reproduced here from an advert, also featured in early versions of the Univox owner's manual.
This page picks up from the page on 1952. The principal developments in 1953: the creation of the "Minivox", a compact version of the "Univox" for home entertainment, advertised in January 1953 (see the section further down this page); and the introduction of two new models in April - the J6 and J7, shown in public for the first time at the London section of the British Industries Fair.
A short page on the British Industries Fair of 1953 (27th April to 8th May) can be found here. The five models (un-named) signalled in the advert in the Fair catalogue will have been the J51 Entertainment Organ; the Univox J5, J6, and J7; and the Minivox.
Although little in the way of hard and fast documentation survives, the formulation of the new line is likely to have been the work of Les Hills and Derek Underdown - perhaps in some respects more Derek, who had been brought in by Tom in the Spring of 1952 to sort out difficulties that had arisen in the production of the Univox J5. Feedback from users and service agents may have provided useful prompts.
Whether such report led in late 1952 / early 1953 to the move from twin speakers to a single 8" unit for the J5 is impossible to know for certain. That Tom was alert throughout the 1950s and 1960s to the needs of his buyers and distributors is in no doubt however.
One of the principal drives of Tom's advertising campaign in the trade press was to sign up distributors (dealers). Not only was a discount of one third offered - so for a J6 around 62 guineas instead of 95 guineas - but also help with advertising.
Towards the end of 1953, Jennings set out the main features of the J6 for prospective dealers:
"Introduces automatic banjo, mandolin and unique percussive string effect. 35 orchestral instrument and innumerable organ tones. Exclusive sub-octave coupling, silent parallel key action. 1,000 combinations with 18 couple tabs, over 5 octave range. 95 guineas. (trade discount less 33 1/3%)."
The selling points of the J7 were:
"Identical construction to J.6. model. With 12 coupler tabs creating 35 orchestral effects, and innumerable organ tones. Sub-octave coupling. Quick change vibrato and range switches. Five octave compass with more than 500 tonal variations. 69 guineas. (trade discount less 33 1/3%)."
Late November 1953. Perhaps somewhere a list still exists. Even if the 500 claimed is somewhat inflated, a large network had evidently been created - a significant achievement.
Named endorsers were: Mantovani, Rawicz and Landauer, Ray Martin, Peter Knight, Johnny Kerrison, Eric Winstone, Gracie Cole, Harry Hayes, Elsye Monks, Jackie Gordon, Hubert Selby, Martin Slavin, Norrie Paramor, and Steve Race.
Recordings by Mantovani, Rawicz and Landauer, and Norrie Paramor featuring the Univox were also available (Tom gave both label and catalogue number). Steve Race, it should be said, perhaps best known as presenter of the radio and television series "My Music", was to help Tom again in the early 1960s.
Mantovani's "Midnight Waltz", featuring the Univox, released December 1953.
As for exports, little is said in the adverts, save for the occasional line "inquiries invited". However, in September 1953 it was reported that Jennings had made a "million dollar deal" - 11 years before the more famous million dollar deal with the Thomas Organ Company (August 1964). To what extent the deal of 1953 came to fruition is not known at present. The prospect had, though, been signalled in 1952.
September 1953.
General chronological overview
In progress, August 2024.
Below, for the time being, a small selection from a substantial number of ads placed by Jennings in various journals, magazines, and newspapers during 1953. Further material will be added in due course.
January 1953, picking up from adverts placed in late 1952.
January 1953. The artwork was used more frequently later in the year, see below.
The "Minivox", a short-lived off-shoot of the "Univox". In 1955, the idea was taken up again in the form of the Jennings J48 portable organ.
January 1953.
March 1953.
April 1953. The "advertising block scheme" for distributors (lower left) is likely to been a series of adverts within adverts - i.e. distributors' adverts carried free of charge in larger ones paid for by Jennings.
September 1953. The million dollar deal.
November 1953. Features of the J6 and J7.
November 1953. Endorsers of the Univox and "500 Dealers". Selmer named its Clavioline dealers in the advert below, May 1954.
May 1954, named dealers of the Clavioline (in contrast to Jennings advert above).
November 1953.
Cover and back page of the J6 owner's manual issued in late 1953 / early 1954. A copy of the diagram at the top of this page appears towards the end of manual.