The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I hope our American members will forgive the following question, as the answer will probably be obvious to them, but not to me in the UK.

I have Red Seal "Batwing" label records with serial numbers not too far apart, some of which carry the Victor name and some the Victrola.

Was there a cut-off date, or was there some other criteria for deciding which label would be used on which record?

The higher-priced Red Seal series were styled "Victrola" from 1909-14, then the name was dropped for a few years. Afterwards, all Red Seals from 1917-35 used the Victrola name. More specifics are found in The Collector's Guide to Victor Records by Michael Sherman.

-HA

Thankyou. It all makes sense now.

I have a love for the red seal Victor and Victrola records. The clarity of these fine works is often attributed to the great condition, since many were rarely played when new.

The Red Seals often play with less surface noise than the UK HMV pressings, probably because a less gritty mixture of ingredients was used in the manufacturing process.

The Indian HMV pressings are also generally smoother than the UK ones, and probably for the same reason.