The Black Swan Phonograph Corporation was probably named for a 19th century African-American concert singer, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield (1809-1976) who toured America and Europe billed as "The Black Swan".

The company was initially very successful and, in 1922, was able to buy out the Olympic Disc Record Company which catalogued works by white and black artists alike. At one point, Black Swan was issuing up to 10 recordings a month with prices of 75 cents for popular tunes and one dollar for their Classic Red Label series. This series included recordings by Antoinette Gaines, billed as "The First Grand Opera Record Ever Made by a Colored Singer." There was a great deal of competition in the 1920s recording market, and in 1924 Black Swan merged with the Paramount Company, although they continued to issue the Black Swan Catalog.

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