1929-1935

1929

Construction on the 508 Park building starts.

Stock market crash begins in October.

1930

The 508 Park Building is completed and opens as the Warner Brothers Building at a cost of $125,000.

Warner Brothers purchases the record division assets of The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company which includes the Brunswick and Vocalion record labels and the manufacture of phonographs. The local office at 811 Elm Street moves to the third floor of 508 Park.

Don Law, originally from England and working for the Dallas Brunswick office as an accountant, joins the newly formed Warner Brothers subsidiary named Brunswick Radio Corporation.

1931

Brunswick Radio Corporation launches the Melotone record label.

Warner Brothers licenses the record labels to and sells the record business assets to The American Record Corporation (ARC), which forms a new division called Brunswick Record Corporation.

1933

Height of the Depression is reached in Dallas.

Don Law is promoted to regional manager and begins his career as a record producer and is reporting to another producer, Art Satherley, who is also originally from England.

1934

ARC effectively acquires control of the assets of Columbia Phonograph Company from the bankruptcy of Grigsby-Grunow. ARC now has three divisions: American Records, Brunswick Records and Columbia Records.

1935

Don Law conducts the first field recordings in the third floor record warehouse at 508 Park, which include the first recordings of Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys.