Edison Bell were the pioneers of phonographs in the United Kingdom. Already founded in the 1890's, as Edison Bell Phonograph Corporation, they had acquired the patent rights for Edison & Graphophone for the UK. However, constant legal disputes with people and companies trying to break their monopoly weakened their potential. Eventually Edison Bell decided to join with its largest competitive distraction, the Edisonia company, headed by James Hough.
The new company was the Edison-Bell Consolidated Phonograph Company. Hough was appointed manager of Sales. Until 1902 Edison Bell held the absolute monopoly. The imported
Edison and Columbia machines usually were adorned with an additional Edison-Bell lable. There was also a rigorous import of machines from France & Germany that were branded as Edison-Bell, but their origins, such as repranded Pathe Galoise, were difficult to hide.
From about 1904 Edison-Bell began to manufacture their own models, as well as their own cylinders. The early generation of machines were very similar to Edison phonographs, From about 1906 though, Edison-Bell produced a more unique range of 4 phonograph models; Imp, Elf, Era and Don. However the age of disc graphophones was dawning and Edison-Bell were quick to start manufacturing disc players.