[78-L] Vitrolac: the spelling that would not die!

[DanKj]

 (Yes, I know we've gone over this before)

 I think most modern uses of Vitrolac can be traced to "The Fabulous Phonograph",  BUT Roland Gelatt shouldn't be blamed, 
because "Vitrolac" shows up even in RCA literature. It's now almost always without the c , the way other products are now 
always wrong ("duck tape" became "duct tape", even though it's useless on ducts! )

Some quick Google Books results:

 DuPont named some of its stains, varnishes, and auto paint products "Vitrolac" since at least 1917.  In a 1931 item about 
Vinylite, the records are called Vitrolac.  Modern Mechanix (Feb 1932) called it "Vitrolac", without mentioning RCA or 
Victor.     It again was used by:   Electronics magazine (1932) ; Saturday Review (1949); Journal of the Audio Engineering 
Society (1953) .  Even the RCA Review (1949) quoted a 1932 article & repeated "Vitrolac" !

 Funny that DuPont never noticed or cared about their brand name being hijacked.





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Lennick" <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011 11:17 AM
Subject: Re: [78-L] Millionaire's Messiah


> It's definitely Victrolac, but I'm not sure where the other spelling
> originated. Probably in well-informed articles such as this:
> http://tenwatts.blogspot.com/2006/05/transcription-disc.html
>
> Hey, I didn't know RCA was making the stuff in 1929. Live and learn. And that
> we've been calling AFRN by the wrong name, AFRS, all these years.
>
> dl
>
> On 2/14/2011 11:05 AM, Philip Carli wrote:
>> This may sound naive, but what is the correct spelling -- "Vitrolac" or "Victrolac" (with the internal "c")? I've seen it 
>> both ways and am personally inclined towards the latter (it makes more sense to me), but just want to get it absolutely 
>> correct. PC
>> ________________________________________
>> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com [78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of David Lennick 
>> [dlennick at sympatico.ca]
>> Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011 9:26 AM
>> To: 78-L Mail List
>> Subject: Re: [78-L] Millionaire's Messiah
>>
>> Could be the original pressing of Gurrelieder..I don't know how long it was
>> kept in print on Victrolac. I have a z-material pressing of it. I'd have to
>> check to see if it's still on Scroll or on circle label.