Synopsis
With roots extending all the way back to the birth of the disc recording industry, Victor reigned supreme throughout the 78 rpm era. Herein lies the story of Victor's standard-catalog 78 rpm record label, traced from Berliner (its predecessor) to the demise of the 78 rpm format. All four of Victors standard label colors (Black, Red, Blue & Purple) are documented in detail along with all changes made to the Victor label throughout its 60 year run. The second section of the book highlights many of the notable singers, personalities and world leaders who recorded for Victor, leaving a priceless, treasured legacy for future generations. Included are such luminaries as Enrico Caruso, Leopold Stokowski, Will Rogers, Nellie Melba, King George V, Charles Lindbergh, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Lauder, Adelina Patti, Amos & Andy, Robert Peary and dozens of others. The Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor) produced countless recordings outside their normal domestic catalog issues. The third section features ethnic recordings, imports, picture discs, puzzle records, subsidiary labels such as Bluebird and Zonophone, contract pressings, pattern labels, long-playing Program Transcriptions, vanity issues, children's records, test pressings, radio transcriptions, demo records, soundtrack discs, client labels, in-house recordings and sample pressings. There's even a page devoted to errors and imitation records! The fourth section includes pictures of record sleeves, company catalogs, supplements and other Victor publications in addition to record release charts, rarity guides and a comprehensive bibliography and index. One would expect a compendium such as this to be dull and lifeless, but Sherman and Nauck's engaging style, attention to detail and brilliant label images make the story come alive. The entire book is profusely illustrated in resplendent full-color, and will be equally at home on the coffee table or the reference shelf. No archive or serious collector should be without it.
About the Author
Michael Sherman's curiosity in old records began in 1965 when, at the age of ten, he was given an Edison Diamond Disc that had been hanging on the wall of a restaurant in Sedalia, Missouri. Seven years later, he acquired both an Edison Disc phonograph and a Victrola XI, and began a lifelong interest in early recorded music. In 1987, Sherman wrote The Paper Dog, a modest 44-page booklet on the history of the Victor Record Label. This was followed five years later with the first edition of The Collector's Guide to Victor Records, written with the collaboration of Kurt Nauck and William Moran. In 1994, Sherman, along with Julian Morton Moses, published a revised edition of Moses' 1949 classic, Collector's Guide to American Recordings, 1895-1925. In 1998, Sherman and Nauck wrote Note the Notes - an Illustrated History of the Columbia Record Label. In addition to these books, Sherman has written several articles for Antique Phonograph Monthly. Mr. Sherman is a member of the Golden State Phonograph Society, the California Antique Phonograph Society, the Southern California Antique Radio Society, the Vintage Radio and Phonograph Society and the Association for Recorded Sound Collections. He is active in numerous hobbies as well, including antique automobiles, rare coins and currency, vintage radios and televisions, and early printed leaves. Sherman is a professional numismatist, and was Vice President and General Manager of Heritage Galleries in Dallas for 20 years before moving to the Los Angeles area in 1999 to work for Collectors Universe [NASDAQ: CLCT]. In 1991, he founded Monarch Record Enterprises to facilitate his publishing efforts and can be contacted though his website: monarchrecs
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