[78-L] How Victor Dealers promoted the first Electrically Recorded records in 1925

[Michael Biel]

  On 9/20/2010 5:20 PM, Michael Biel wrote:
>    On 9/20/2010 2:24 PM, bruce78rpm at comcast.net wrote:
>> I just purchased this Generic type Victor Album at the local Salvation Army. I have never seen one of these before and it is quite interesting, and gives some insight into how the Victor Dealers promoted and sold the New Electrically Recorded (Bat Wing) label records, prior to Victor Day in November.

It turns out that it was too good to be true.  When Bruce got the photos 
of this out to me (as well as Mike Sherman and Kurt Nauck who were 
considering adding it to the soon to go to press Victor Label book) the 
myth started to crumble.  Bruce had warned us that things wee "pasted", 
and when we were discussing it off list he wondered if this was a 
mock-up that a dealer might have done.  Kurt had wondered if it might be 
a prototype of the Victor Day album/  But alas, it is the object of a 
collector's wild imagination.  When we saw the photos it seemed like a 
generic 1940s album with paper pasted on the covers with the additional 
lettering very crudely pasted over it.  On the cover each typed line is 
separate, and the Victor name and logo are crudely cut from a sleeve.  I 
could see elements of a design wrap-around at the top and bottom of the 
inside front cover.  It is black with a thin white stripe every half 
inch, and two wide red stripes on the right side -- it would be on the 
left looking at the cover.   At my prodding Bruce first checked under 
the pasted paper on the inside back cover and discovered the Columbia C 
series blurb.  This was created at least in or since the 1940s.   He is 
now delving into the spine covering to determine which album was used.

>> On the outside, pasted onto the front of the Generic (4 record Album) is the following Title "VICTOR Presents The Sound of the New Recording !!
>> Victor Talking Machine Company, Camden, N.J.

Each of these lines is glued separately.
>> On the inside of the front cover of the album is pasted the "Inner Liner for Front Cover Form" PA 4-8-2VE-INR",
>

This is a typed sheet, not a printed sheet.  I would love to know if 
this was copied from something real, especially with all the radio 
references.  Remember, during 1925 Victor was doing a series of 
broadcasts, first on Western Electric's WEAF and network, and then on 
RCA's WJZ and network.  They made recordings of excerpts of the Jan 15, 
1925 and Jan 1, 1926 broadcasts.  Engineer Alfred Goldsmith demonstrated 
a comparison of these with orthophonic recordings to Edgar H. Felix who 
declared that they were both equal in quality.

Well, it was fun while it lasted.  Meanwhile this evening I have 
discovered two prefix size indicators in use in 1931 that nobody has 
ever published before, S and F.  You'll have to wait till the book comes 
out to know what they stand for.  (This is in addition to A, B, C, D, E, 
and M which are well known.)

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com




> This is quite a find, and I need photos of the outer and inner cover.
> This is not the more common November 1926 album which has a descriptive
> blurb printed on each of the six hole-less pockets.  That album, as I
> detailed in my ARSC presentation this spring, had six pre-selected
> records but they could be swapped if you asked your dealer.
>>    Which States as Follows
>>
>> "Have you heard Victor's "New Recording" yet? If you have not, then now is your chance. This album contains four of the latest hit releases by five leading Victor Black Label Artists.
>> It Has been said, of late, That the phonograph was through, that radio offered its listener so much truer sound than did the phonograph. Well, that is certainly no longer the case. Herein is the proof. Listen to these records, and, we sincerely believe, you will agree with us that the Victor wins again. Not only have we found a process that beats the quality of reproduction of the finest radio sets, but have done so without any increase in price to the consumer.
> This is a problem for me because there was nothing to play these early
> electricals on other than  normal  Victrolas which would not make these
> records sound all that good.  They might even blast and buzz the
> reproducer.
>> What radio se can offer you the convenience of the Victor? With the Victor you can have the music you want when you want it. You are not subjected to the whims of the producers of radio programs. YOU are your own producer! You make up your own programs. This, of course is nothing new. Victor owners have always been able to do this. Now you can do it with recordings that surpass the quality of sound to be heard from any radio.
>> Watch for more recordings using this "New Recording" process of Victor. We Feel sure that you will continue to be amazed and greatly pleased by the quality of reproduction. You may rest assured that the same high standards of artistry that you have always associated with the VICTOR will continue to prevail. it is our intention, in fact, to make available, as soon as possible, many of your old favorites re-recorded with our new Technique. Watch for them soon at your favorite Victor Dealer. "
>>
>> P-10 (Demonstration Side 5) Copyright 1925, Victor Talking Machine Co. Camden, New Jersey, U.S.A.
> is this an actual record??
>> The album contains such artists as Warings Pennsylvanians (19636) Rudy Wiedoft (19771)Edwin J. McEnelly (19841), George Olsen&   Jack Shikret (19868). Again I am assuming these are all pre-Victor Day recordings, before the term orthophonic and the new Orthophonic Victrolas were announced and introduced.
>>
>> Bruce
> Are these all batwing labels?  It does seem likely that these were the
> original records in the album.  do these add up to five performers?
> 19626 was the first Victor 10-inch black label electrical.
>
> REALLY looking forward to seeing this.
>
> Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com