[78-L] Victor Scroll Labels in Canada?

[Steve Williams]

Remember that this is tied in with introduction of electric recording.  In
Canada from the get-go electrically-recorded Victors identified the new
process on the label as "V.E. Process", the VE in an oblong being required
under the Western Electric contract to identify recordings made with their
patented method.  Also the labels generally switched from blue to black,
though continuing and reissued acoustic releases used a black label.  I have
seen a blue "VE Process" label on a standard 10" dance band release, but
that's rare.. Overall however both acoustic and Electric releases used the
same batwing style.

However, in the States, to protect the backlog of Acoustic recordings
(though the story goes a bit deeper than that) electric releases were not
acknowledged in any way, except for the VE symbol embedded in the runout
area.  When Victor decided to admit to the superior Electric process in
November 1925 they did it with a bang, ads in the papers, store flyers etc.
and trademarked it as "Orthophonic."  At this time, to emphasise the big
improvement, they introduced the scroll (or Octagon) label with the "VE" at
the top.  Canada continued to use the batwing label except "VE Process" was
changed to "VE Orthophonic" and later just "Orthophonic" with a tiny VE
symbol above that. There was no big announcement of a change in Canadian
releases, therefore probably that's why there was no big change in label
style.

Just by the way, The Compo Company in Montreal had North America's first
electric studio actually releasing product in 1924.  The earliest Victor
electric tests were done by Canadian Compo, which was founded by Berliner
after he left Victor.  So Canada has a special place in the history of
electric recording, along with Victor actually acknowledging Electric
releases before the US.  Canadian Victor was AHEAD of the US, not "Behind"
in doing anything...

..Steve Williams  ..

Message: 9
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2012 08:57:21 -0400
From: David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: [78-L] Victor Scroll Labels in Canada?
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
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>Nope, Canada never had them. Maybe a slightly modified scroll for the
Program 
>Transcriptions, but for general releases Canadian Victor stuck with Batwing

>right through 1946. We were even a year late changing that to RCA Victor,
we 
>kept Buff Bluebird into 1939 and used the Staff label for only about six
months 
>as well. The first Scroll label in Canada might have been on the lp Nilsson

>Schmilsson.

dl

On 4/3/2012 1:30 AM, Clifford Bolling wrote:
> In the U.S., Victor labels evolved from Batwing to Scroll to Ring design
for their labels.
> Did the Scroll label get skipped for Canadian pressings and go straight
from Batwing to Rings??
> I have some Canadian pressed 'HIS MASTER'S VOICE/VICTOR' label records
that I know
> were made in the 1940s that are still Batwing, but I don't recall ever
seeing Canadian Scroll design labels.
>
> http://PDX78s.cdbpdx.com/CanSC/
>
> Thanks!  CDB