[78-L] music for exercising

[David Lennick]

I have a complete "Wallace Reducing" set in its original shipping carton, 
complete with introductory letters and handwritten notes by the recipient, who 
might not have finished the course. This is the 1940 version, pressed by 
Columbia (unlaminated).

As Mike says, it's amazing that these things survived. Survived being mailed, 
survived being flung against the wall by frustrated users.

dl

Michael Biel wrote:
> From: "martha" <MLK402 at verizon.net>
>> A special set ; there's even a set for sale, right now: 
>> http://tinyurl.com/nt2dr9
>  
> For those of you who have never seen this set, this is a tri-fold.  The
> cover on the left will fold out for a panarama of three record holders
> with pictures and instructions.  And then it will fold back to one
> record size with the embossed front on top.  These pictures show a man
> doing the exercises, but there were other exercise sets on other labels
> designed for women.  I just got anoter copy of the electrical version of
> the Walter Camp set which pictures women.  I didn't get a chance to
> check yet with my other two sets, one acoustical and the other
> electrical, to see if those also pictured women.  I think they were sold
> both ways because I think my other sets picture men. If they do, I don't
> think there are any changes in the recorded exercises The Walter Camp
> sets were widely advertised in the back pages of many magazines.  You
> could send away for a sample, and in the acoustical days you got a
> 7-inch sampler.  The electrical set I have starts with record two, and I
> think they send a full 10-inch size exercise disc as the sample.  Very
> often these sets are found in the original mailing box because the
> records are in individual 10x20 cardboard folders which are difficult to
> store except in the box.  The boxes are not padded in any way, and it is
> amazing that the records survived, but I guess the Post Office had a
> different attitude in those days.  I have a couple of other sets from
> other "experts" that are designed for, or at least illustrate, women. 
> Very fit and trim men are usually shown, but the women are usually quite
> voluptuous in the cotton bathing suits of the era showing large busts,
> butts, and tummys -- not the flatchested flapper image!   
> 
>> Victrola No.50 was the model (and the price, I think) ..
>> they also had a Victrola 35, same deal
> 
> I don't think the model number equaled the price.  That was Edison's
> original plan for the Blue Amberolas (30, 50, 75) and Diamond Disc
> machines (MUCH higher in price!!!)  but the prices eventually went up
> without changing the model numbers!  Victor had too many models to do
> something like this, and they offered many of them in variations that
> changed price, such as electric motors, different finishes, etc.  
> Baumbach's "Look For The Dog" details all this.  
>  
> Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com 
> 
>  From: "Donna Halper" <dlh at donnahalper.com>
> 
>  >I just found an advertisement from mid August 1922 for Victor
>  > Records-- it was in a number of newspapers. It advertised a
>  > "Portable Victrola No. 50" and a set of exercise records. As you all
>  > know, I am not an expert in the machines of the 78 era-- so, was
>  > there a portable Victrola number 48 or 49, or was 50 just a brand
>  > name? Also, what were the records that went along with the
>  > record-player? The ad says the records were specially designed to be
>  > used in an exercise regimen-- but it doesn't explain what songs they
>  > were. It just says they will enable people to "Exercise to
>  > Music". The records are only described as "three double-faced Victor
>  > Records for Health Exercises," sold in a "compact container" and
>  > planned by an (alleged) authority named Professor Charles H. Collins.
>  > Any further explanation would be very interesting for me, and I'd
>  > appreciate it.
>