H.M.V. Model 194.The Gramophone Co., UK, 1927. With Stand. Handmade wood case with matching stand. It was a popular item in Calcutta households. The first company to import the same was Whiten Laidlaw Departmental Store and became a hit item. The man who introduced Bengal to the world of gramophone was FW Gaisberg, the first recording engineer of the Gramophone Company. From 1900 to 1907, he made several trips to Kolkata and other parts of India, urging local entrepreneurs to join him in his venture to start sound recording in India. In 1902, Gaisberg made the first disc recording of Indian artistes. The singer Gauhar Jan of Kolkata was the first Indian and Bengali artist to have her songs recorded, gaining immediate celebrity. Her photographs appeared on the front pages of all Kolkata newspapers. India soon became the largest market for gramophone record players.