[78-L] Labels

[J. E. Knox]

Greetings from FixitLand!

Dan Van Landingham wrote:

> In 1965 I was given two 78s from the set which were on Victor:they dated from around 1945.The way I could tell was by what I call "purfling" around the edge of the label;on the 1938-42 Victors and Bluebirds,the bands-or purfling-were spaced closed together and on the 1945-54 Victor/RCA Victor 78s,they were wider apart.

Correct. I haven't heard the term "purfling" before, but you're referring to the rings at the periphery of the label...we usually just call 'em "Rings." That's the term usually used to describe the 1937-43 label style that replaced the Scroll label (circa November 1937), with "RCA MANUFACTURING CO., INC" at the bottom of the label. In 1943 the corporate name was changed to "RCA Victor Division, Radio Corporation of America" and this was reflected on the new labels which for the first time on regular Black Label Victors sported the RCA "meatball" logo at the bottom. The name "VICTOR" is slightly smaller as well compared to the prewar label.

> The ink was gold on the '38-'41s,
> which I referred to as a "yellow gold ink", ...

Right...I don't know the actual Pantone ink number but it is a vivid gold (mostly...some labels have faded over the years). Mid-1941, just into the Victor 27500s and Bluebird B-11200s, the ink was changed to a lighter shade which I call "brass" (others call "silver," but it's not truly silver). At first, this too is pretty vivid, but once the war began, ink must've been at a premium 'cuz the labels began to appear printed with watered-down ink.

> ... the '42-'49s used a "white gold" ink ...

Very early summer of 1941, actually...and that ink remained in use until 1950-51. The washed-out wartime printing often looks more like non-metallic yellow than metallic brass.

> and the '50-'54s used silver with a flat black background whereas the previous Victors used gloss black.

The matte-black labels don't appear until c. 1953. Sometimes they turn up as a dark gray rather than black.

> I use that word purfling because the two bands around the label reminded me of the purfling on my violin and viola.

I looked that word up...yeah, it seems fitting indeed.

Take care,


—
Joe
—
"If cats are 'pets' and people are 'masters' why am I the one standing here with a Pooper Scooper?"—Karl Knox (1960–2005)