[78-L] VICTOR LABEL BOOK -- you MUST get it

[Michael Biel]

On 1/13/2011 7:42 PM, Michael Shoshani wrote:
> On Mon, 2010-12-13 at 03:49 -0500, Michael Biel wrote:
>> Since I have not read any reviews yet, all I can think is that nobody
>> here has ordered the new revised edition of Michael W. Sherman's (with
>> Kurt Nauck) "Collector's Guide To Victor Records" yet.  WHAT ARE YOU
>> WAITING FOR???  An engraved invitation?  If so, consider this to be
>> one.
> Money's been tight for the last few months, but last week I had enough
> spare money to order the paperback edition. It arrived today (I think
> Kurt ships in his sleep!) and all I can say is WOW.  This book is
> amazing. (I picked up a copy of Note the Notes while I was at it; it's
> also pretty keen.)
>
>> I might be a little biased, but my participation is minor.  Mike and
>> Kurt have worked wonders.  I did the matrix prefix section at the end,
>> gave the pressing plant info in the footnote section for Chap 9, did
>> some proofing, and provided some labels that are, in all modesty,
>> knockouts (The Vouce of the Victor on page 214 and the Bluebird on 215
>> are a couple of examples) but 99&  44/100% is Mike and Kurt.  The
>> comparison with the two earlier versions is beyond belief.
> Where on earth did they find those two labels on the bottom of 214, and
> the Red Seal label at the bottom left of 215?

I found the Voice of the Victor and the color label on the lower left at 
the Sony/BMG archive.  They were loose labels in a binder of plastic 
holders with hundreds of sample labels.  Same with the weird Bluebird 
staff label.  I also found a LaCigale label of the 6 line patent style 
but there was too much light reflection off of it to be usable.  It was 
for record 5754.  I only had a couple of hours at Sony and I really need 
to go back.  The other color label at the bottom right on 214 was the 
cover picture of the first edition of this book.

>   I've long found it
> intriguing that Victor used a line engraving of His Master's Voice from
> the beginning (Yankee thrift?),

Absolutely.  There is a little paperwork for a color label proposal 
showing the relative costs of the labels from several different printers 
compared with the labels then being used.  Fractions of a cent difference.
>   while The Gramophone Company started
> with full color renditions and later (as HMV) went to duotones,
> monochrome sepia, then finally an outline line drawing similar to the
> early HMV Zonophone labels.  But these two labels on 214 take the cake;
> the Red Seal version looks for all the world like a Shaded Dog label.
>

I went to Sony specifically to find three color label samples I had seen 
in past years.  Couldn't find the book they were in.  These were from 
1947 and are GORGEOUS!  Full color dogs on high gloss paper of red, 
blue, or black.  Still tring to find that book, but there is a slight 
chance a real record might be found with the red label because 5000 
pressings of a Boston Pops record were made with it but they were held 
for a later decision and there is no notation if they did distribute the 
discs.



I am flattered that they surprised me with placing my most amazing find
>> on the end-papers, and actually it was Vince Giordano who first spotted
>> it.[...]
>> I am not telling you what that flyer is, although I showed it to a few
>> people like the Rolfs since the photos were still in my camera.  It will
>> have to be your surprise WHEN YOU BUY THE BOOK!!!
> I have a feeling that this endpaper flyer surprise is only included in
> the hardcover edition, because the paperback edition has plain white
> stock inner covers - no endpapers. Pity.

I hoped they included it in the paperback edition.  If they didn't I 
will try to get Kurt to put it on his site -- maybe after the 500 
hardbound copies are gone.


> I've been amazed at my casual flip-through; can't wait to be able to
> hunker down and delve at leisure! Kudos to Messrs. Sherman and Nauck on
> a very fine volume.
>
> MS

AMEN brother!!

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbie.com