Victor Label Color Coding

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Victor A
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Victor Label Color Coding

Post by Victor A »

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anybody knows the full color coding system for victor 78s. I'm aware of red seals and how they typically contained classical or opera music, but I'm curious about the purpose of the blue, purple,etc. labels.

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52089
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Re: Victor Label Color Coding

Post by 52089 »

Black was for the popular series, red was for classical. There were also blue and purple, which were intended to be in between black and red in terms of price and prestige. You may wish to get a copy of the Collector's Guide to Victor Records by Michael Sherman, which contains detailed evolution of the Victor label with numerous illustrations.

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Victor A
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Re: Victor Label Color Coding

Post by Victor A »

Thanks, I'll check out that book.

Cheers!
SOUSA, The March King, says:

"Your 'VICTOR' and 'MONARCH' Records are all right."

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Wolfe
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Re: Victor Label Color Coding

Post by Wolfe »

There was also a green which was for language / instruction types of records.

Over the years, some artists might be found on variously on the red, blue, purple, or black. Like the Scottish comedian Harry Lauder.

bfinan11
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Re: Victor Label Color Coding

Post by bfinan11 »

I probably missed some but these are all the ones I've come across anyway:

Black label: Originally all records (1900-1903 or so), then popular music from then through the end of the 78 era. Most non-classical international and ethnic records were also on black labels, with a few exceptions.
Red Seal (only one called a Seal, the rest are labels): Classical and operatic material deemed worthy of the Red Seal status (1903-1925), all releases on the Victrola label (higher priced, also at least semi-classical content), all classical music (1925-end of the 78 era)
Blue and Purple label (first iterations): intermediate grade between black and red, often classical content. Symphony orchestras originally fell in this category, as did second-class opera singers behind the Red Seal roster, and certain other celebrities. Both of these were phased out at the end of the Batwing label, and just barely extended into Orthophonic records
Green label: Educational and experimental records, including music appreciation, language lessons, and test records for phonograph repairmen
White/off-white label: Private/custom pressings, many of which used a batwing-like label as late as 1950. Also a few early records by Nellie Melba.
Tartan label: One special Scottish record issued around 1902.

RCA Victor began using colored labels again postwar with new meanings:
Purple label: International series, especially polka
Blue label: Bluebird series (1949-50), lower priced recordings and kids' records
Dark green label: Jazz reissues
Light pink label: Collectors issues (Glenn Miller memorial album)
White label: DJ/radio records (usually but not always promotional versions of a normal black label)

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msherman
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Re: Victor Label Color Coding

Post by msherman »

While most has been answered, perhaps I can add a bit to the discussion of the Purple and Blue series.

The single-faced Purple label (60000 and 70000 numerical series) made its debut in Feb 1910, with a run of Harry Lauder recordings. It evolved into something of a Vaudeville series, with "name" entertainers such as George M. Cohan, Victor Herbert, Nora Bayes, Blanche Ring and others whose repertoire was not "Red Seal" material but whose fame necessitated a slightly higher price. Later, some other famous names appeared such as the two polar explorers Robert Peary and Ernest Shackleton and the poet James Whitcomb Riley. The Purple label did not last long, and by the mid to late 1910s, new material ceased. Purple labels remained in the catalog through the early 1920s (and a couple even lasted till the 1927 catalog) but none have ever been seen with a Scroll label as all recordings were acoustic.

The double-faced Blue label appeared in 1911, (45000 and 55000 series) and was originally comprised of operatic material aimed at the Latin American market. (A little-known fact is that the very first double faced issues appeared with a purple label! ) By 1913, Victor had moved a few of the 64000 Red Seals down to the Blue label and recordings shifted to domestic issues. By the late 1910s, most of the vaudeville and comedy acts were appearing on the Blue label (priced 25¢ above the Black labels) with such artists as Will Rogers and Fanny Brice. In the early 1920s, most of the remaining Purple label selections were transferred to the Blue label. Demotions from the Red seal line also continued.

There were several artists who appeared on all four of the main Victor color series (Black, Blue, Purple and Red) These included Harry Lauder, Reinald Werrenrath and Lucy Isabelle Marsh.

Late in its life, the Blue label returned in large part to its overseas origins, and included several operas and symphonies recorded in Europe. A few Blue label releases lasted as long as the Scroll label, and even a few Blue labels on the Circular label have been found.

A couple photos follow - one is an early pressing of a "Blue" label, in purple. The second is a very late Blue label pressing.
12 Pat Early Bluergb.jpg
12 Pat Early Bluergb.jpg (225.62 KiB) Viewed 3638 times
12 Cir Blue.jpg
12 Cir Blue.jpg (207.27 KiB) Viewed 3638 times

EdiBrunsVic
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Re: Victor Label Color Coding

Post by EdiBrunsVic »

Thank you for the helpful information!

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Re: Victor Label Color Coding

Post by estott »

Purple was also used for "In House" operatic recordings- Victor Opera Quartette, Victor Opera Sextette & the like. The blue

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