The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

The handwritten info on the label area was transferred to the mother and stamper as they must have used ones that allowed for it, full-size stampers as opposite to the latter stampers that had removed the central label area. In HMV records this was common until mid-twenties and maybe later. Some HMV pressings of US Victor recordings carried this info too. The technology and uses when making stampers changed several times along the years. Other times, when the record was pressed, the label area was pressed more deeply, with a ridge in the border, and those deleted that info. It was also common that test pressings in small runs were done in manual presses using full size stampers, and these usually show that handwritten info, while the whole run of commercial pressings of the same record were further processed and the stampers didn't show that handwritten info because of the shape of the stampers used or the pressing processes used in the commercial run.

I remember seeing in an auction a 7" version of the juvenile speech. It had the boy on one side and girl on the other. It was made about the same time before Victor did them commercially.

Zenger, just to follow up…can you please find the time to record each side of this record (easiest way is on a smartphone) and post it here, or send it to me so that I can? Thanks.

Very late to this topic but I have also seen an earlier version, same record (same serial number too), but using the 1902~ era Victor label.

Zenger wrote: Fri Mar 10, 2023 6:17 pm
I don't understand how something written on the wax master can be seen through the label; can someone please enlighten me?

The labels are pressed/glued in place so closely that they conform to any impressions in the disc surface.

It’s too bad the owner wasn’t willing to let us hear it