[78-L] Story of the Lp

[Michael Biel]

S&R Pinsker wrote:
> "I have here in my hand", well actually next to the computer, the physically oldest LP in
> my collection; ML4004, Serkin playing the Emperor w. Bruno Walter and the NY Philh.
>   

I have ML 2001, ML 4001, and CL 600l.  The only "first" I'm missing is 
JL 8001.

> Its in a thin paper jacket open at the top.
> The bottom of the label reads: LONG PLAYING * MICROGROOVE in caps.
> Where I have typed an * there is the circle with Lp in it.
> On both the disc and jacket Columbia, Masterworks and the twin circle  
> mike and musical notes are identified as Trade Marks, Reg U.S. Pat Off.
> and the Lp in a circle just as "Trade Mark"   Bob Pinsker
>
>   

Yes, we know all this.  It is what started the discussion.  If you go 
back to the beginning of the thread, David lennick, better known as Dl, 
disputed whether it was a lower-case p, insisting that it was an upper 
case P that was simply lowered into a lower position.  Citing the 1949 
catalog, he says that except for that trademark in a circle, the 
designation Columbia used was LP and Long Playing.  But within a few 
years Columbia was citing it as "Lp" and Long playing in label 
indications of the matrix numbers, catalogs, and inner-sleeves, with the 
p clearly being lower case.   Next step is to get the details of the 
trademark designation.  The step after that is to find an internal 
Columbia style rule book that details to their employees and ad agencies 
what the rules are.  I am sure that they did have something like this.

Mike biel  (Mbiel at Mbiel.com)