Victor 78 Record Discography

Consolidated was started because Mr. Johnson had made an improved spring action for the gramophone. Emile Berliner, on your right, owner and patentholder, ask Mr. Johnson to product the playing machines.

It was not a new enterprise, but a merger of the interests of Mr. Johnson with those of the Consolidated Talking Machine Company of America. The Victor Talking Machine Company, was incorporated on October 3, 1901. It would later become R C A Victor (1927), perhaps THE most important American recording company during the 78 rpm era.

Consolidated, was making recordings as early as May 17, 1900 - but the first issue is dated June 28, 1900 - past files indicate at least 17 earlier recording sessions, beginning on January 12, 1900. Okay, so Johnson started before he should have - the same could be said about A & M Records some time later.

As you can see - ´IMPROVED´ - "GRAM-O-PHONE" RECORD was his first pick for the label.

Followed by "Manufactured By" - NOTE the word ´By´ - NOT ´for´ - stating that CTMC is pressing/ stamping its own material.

Then Consolidated Talking Machine Company with the aberration under that of Phila. Pa for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia being the first home of the Consolidated Talking Machine Company.

Under that will by the name of the item (song title, if you wish) - then the artist (Composer not yet given) - then the matrix number. When Johnson, began his recording log on June 28, 1900, no distinction was made between matrix numbers, sometimes called the serial number and catalog (issue) numbers. Please also note that no copyright logo or registered trade mark is given.

Emile Berliner (United States Gramophone Company) engaged Eldridge R. Johnson, head of the Victor Company, Consolidated had changed its name, which manufactured playing machines, to produce his gram-o-phone. It was to be marketed as the "Victrola." Berliner had to ask the court to have Johnson stop marketing disc with the name Gram-o-phone on them. On March 1, 1901, the courts ordered Johnson not to use the word "Gram-o-phone" on his products. The result was the "Improved Record" label, which dropped the Consolidated Talking Machine Company´s name. The new label now had a notice of intent "This record is leased for the purpose of producing sound directly from the record, and for no other purpose; any attempt at copying or counterfeiting will be construed as a violation of this condition and a basis for legal proceedings."

Also changed was "Manufactured By" to "Manufactured Exclusively By", and the name of any company was dropped to show only the name: Eldridge R. Johnson, and a new city - new state - Camden, N.J. This label reflected Johnson´s move from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Camden, NJ, some reverse-side stickers from this period list both cities (the studio remained in Philadelphia for some time after the move).

Under that again the name of the item (song title) - then the artist (Composer still not yet given) - then the matrix number. Again, no distinction was made between matrix (serial) numbers and catalog (issue) numbers. Late 1901. Still no copyright logo or registered trade mark is given.

Johnson next label were these two - the first, much as the "Improve" label, but now the name "VICTOR MONARCH RECORD", also "Manufactured Exclusively By", still with Eldridge R. Johnson name and Camden, NJ. Under that again the name of the item (song title) - then the artist (Composer still not yet given) - then the matrix number. Again, no distinction was made between matrix (serial) numbers and catalog (issue) numbers. Still no copyright logo or registered trade mark is given.

The other label same as the other but for Eldridge R. Johnson name is replaced by Victor Talking Machine Company, Camden, NJ. Under that again the name of the item (song title) - then the artist (Composer still not yet given) - then the matrix number. Again, no distinction was made between matrix (serial) numbers and catalog (issue) numbers. Still no copyright logo or registered trade mark is given.

Now is the first of the trademark label. That of a little fox terrier listening to the horn of a Gramophone (called "His Master´s Voice" registered on July 1, 1902) it will become one the world´s best known symbol of its time.
The notice of intent is gone - replaced by the little terrier (if there is a small "B" to the right of the trademark, it indicates a pressing by the Burt Company, which at the time was owned by Columbia but under contract with Victor.
VICTOR RECORD replaces VICTOR MONARCH RECORD - the "Manufactured Exclusively By" is gone, do to some being stamped by Burt Company. Victor Talking Machine Company, Camden, NJ. is now at the center of label with the hole in the middle. The word ´patent´ is under the hole - followed by the name of the item (song title) - then the artist (Composer still not yet given) - then the matrix number. Again, no distinction was made between matrix (serial) numbers and catalog (issue) numbers.

The MONARCH RECORD straight-line design was introduced in 1903, and the basic format would survive, with some minor changes for about the next ten years. The over all arrangement of label infornmation is much the same.

Beginning on April 23, 1903, Victor began differentiating between issue and pressing numbers. This change coincided with Victor´s introduction to the then three-step mass duplication process.

We will place label information at points of the listings below.

EARLY ONE-SIDED RECORDS: From its start (1900) until the fall of 1908 Victor records were all single-sided - meaning there is no recording on the flip side. A sticker or badge was often pressed into the blank side. The date shown on that side was not the date the record was made, but it´s usually within a year, for reasons we do not know. Victor stopped issuing one-sided black label (Monarch label) records in the fall of 1908, although it continued issuing single-sided ´Red Seals´ into the mid-1920s.

TWO-SIDED RECORDS: For Victors are of two types: those made before 1942 and those made after 1942.

RECORDS MADE BETWEEN 1908 AND 1942: Between 1908 and 1942 most domestic ten-inch black label Victors were assigned a five digit serial number. The number is prominently displayed on the label and is the same on both sides of the record. Serial numbers began at 16000 in October 1908 and ended in the 28000s in September 1942. Records with serial numbers in the 23000s comprise a special series from the late 1920s to the early 1930s. They are not in series with records before 23000 or after 24000.

RECORDS MADE AFTER 1942: In October 1942 RCA Victor began a new numbering system for black labels. Victor´s ten-inch domestic popular series have a number prefixed by "20-" and are the most common. Records in this series with just "Victor" on the label were made between October 1942 and January 1946. Those with "RCA Victor" on the label indicates the records were made after January 1946.

In 1953 the famous - "His Master´s Voice" - dog and gramophone trademark was changed from a simple outline to a more striking color rendition. This "color Nipper" remained on the label until 1958, at which time RCA Victor ceased manufacturing 78s in the United States. Production did continued in Canada and overseas till 1963, by then most of the pressing plants had been set to handle 33 1/3 rpm pressings or the plants were closed to save cost.

We have attempted to document all recordings made by Victor in all genres, including all the black label popular recordings, all the ´Red Seal´ classical discs, along with the purple and blue label records that were between the classical and popular fields (the single-faced purple and double-faced blue labels began as a race-vaudeville-oriented series, and soon expanded to include classical performers who had not attained that cover ´Red Seal´ status.

We did come across a note that the Pressing Refernece number, say 13776=7 as in:
17479 Helen Clark - Sun Of My Soul (Ritter) - 13776=7 - Oct 21, 1913, is a take number; consisted of a number suffix separated from the serial number by a dash, the =7 is the eighth take of that item. A first take, if good, would stay that number, if another take was needed, then =1 was added, meaning that it was the second take of that item.

I must tell you that while doing the work up for this information - should you wish to know more about the history of ´Victor´ - go to David Sarnoff Library for
THE BEST in an overview of that history - NOW ON TO THE DISCOGRAPHY.

Additions and corrections are welcome.

Discography sources with our thanks - you too have great sites:
78discography.com
victor.library.ucsb.edu
library.yale.edu
Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
Beanjelly Radio
redhotjazz.com
honkingduck.com
eBay Music Section
Joe´s private collection
Noted contributor - Like YOU

A-250 Metropolitan Orchestra - A Romance Of Athlone (Not Given) - [September 29, 1900]

1000 - 1999	2000 - 2999	3000 - 3999	4000 - 4999	5000 - 5999
6000 - 6999	7000 - 7999	8000 - 8999	9000 - 9999	10000 - 19999
20000 - 29999	30000 - 39999	40000 - 49999	50000 - 59999	60000 - 69999
70000 - 79999	80000 - 89999	20-Series	C-Series	K-Series
M-Series	RA-Series	LPV-Series	RA-Series	Others

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