[78-L] Victor Record News

[Cary Ginell]

Just got a nice run of issues of the Victor Record News, a retailer's newspaper that was apparently distributed to record stores throughout the U.S. The earliest one I have in this batch is dated July 30, 1943 and is number 89 in the series. The latest in November 1947. Each issue announced doings by RCA Victor artists, new releases, and performer profiles, but best of all, shows pictures of record and window displays of record departments in stores throughout the nation. Previously, I had only seen these images in the two Record Retailers hardbound books from 1945 and 1946, but these magazines show dozens of larger photos than those in the two books. Like all industry publications of this sort, there are some fascinating press releases and announcements; for example, as late as June 1945, RCA was still not admitting that Glenn Miller was dead. The article declared "Glenn Miller Day" was being observed on June 5. Helen Miller accepted a Bronze Star medal, but the article stresses that the day was one "of hope rather than one of sorrow." It goes on to say "The hope remains that Glenn Miller is still alive, and that word may soon come of his safety." (Miller most likely died during a air mission on December 15, 1944). 

I have mini-runs of two other RCA promotional series, the "RCA Victor Picture Record Review - magazines from 1951 to 1953, and RCA Victor's "In the Groove" (August 1946 to March 1948). Both of these latter publications appear to have been distributed to the public and not strictly for retailers.  The August '46 issue of "In the Groove" is Vol. 1 #6, so it probably started in March of that year. 

Are these publications hard to come by? Anyone have a complete run of any of these? From the same source, I was also able to get a nice batch of the Capitol Record News, dating from 1943 (the 1st anniversary issue of Capitol Records) to 1953.

Cary Ginell