The paper envelope in which one stores a 78 changes names with time.
I have been informed here that the word, cover, is the historically accurate term for these envelopes for earlier records.
The term, sleeve, was used later.
There is also jacket.
Now I have found a new one, at least new to me, shirt.
Here from a late 30s/early 40s library we have an envelope indelibly stamped with the word, shirt.
The Count Basie record in the shirt is not, however, 125-E. Oh the horror!
Cover? What's in a name?
- epigramophone
- Victor Monarch Special
- Posts: 5693
- Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:21 pm
- Personal Text: An analogue relic trapped in a digital world.
- Location: The Somerset Levels, UK.
Re: Cover? What's in a name?
This is of particular interest to me, as I write a regular series of articles on covers for the CLPGS magazine.
There were several different terms in use during the 78 era, including case, container, cover, envelope, holder, jacket and protector.
The first recorded use of the term "sleeve" was in an advertisement in the USA in 1951, and it soon became the generic term for the LP era.
The term "Shirt" is new to me, and with your permission I would like to publish the image in a future CLPGS magazine.
Thank you for posting it.
Roger.
There were several different terms in use during the 78 era, including case, container, cover, envelope, holder, jacket and protector.
The first recorded use of the term "sleeve" was in an advertisement in the USA in 1951, and it soon became the generic term for the LP era.
The term "Shirt" is new to me, and with your permission I would like to publish the image in a future CLPGS magazine.
Thank you for posting it.
Roger.
-
- Victor II
- Posts: 272
- Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:33 am
- Location: France
- epigramophone
- Victor Monarch Special
- Posts: 5693
- Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:21 pm
- Personal Text: An analogue relic trapped in a digital world.
- Location: The Somerset Levels, UK.
Re: Cover? What's in a name?
Many thanks for this. If I can collect enough covers with spelling and printing errors they will make an interesting article.
- Inigo
- Victor Monarch
- Posts: 4551
- Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2017 1:51 am
- Personal Text: Keep'em well oiled
- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Contact:
Re: Cover? What's in a name?

I've found several misspellings and typos in 78s over these years, including one Spanish Decca of the mid forties where the bandleader was spelled as GRENN MILLER [sic] to my greatest horror.
Inigo
-
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1315
- Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2021 10:22 pm
Re: Cover? What's in a name?
Of course you may publish it.epigramophone wrote: Sun Nov 05, 2023 4:17 am This is of particular interest to me, as I write a regular series of articles on covers for the CLPGS magazine.
There were several different terms in use during the 78 era, including case, container, cover, envelope, holder, jacket and protector.
The first recorded use of the term "sleeve" was in an advertisement in the USA in 1951, and it soon became the generic term for the LP era.
The term "Shirt" is new to me, and with your permission I would like to publish the image in a future CLPGS magazine.
Thank you for posting it.
Roger.
If you want a better image, I can get you one.
The image here is a relatively low resolution screen shot from a hastily taken photo. The lighting was bad, and the flash kicked in.
- epigramophone
- Victor Monarch Special
- Posts: 5693
- Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:21 pm
- Personal Text: An analogue relic trapped in a digital world.
- Location: The Somerset Levels, UK.
Re: Cover? What's in a name?
Thank you. This will be the start of an article on "the ones they got wrong".
-
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1315
- Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2021 10:22 pm
Re: Cover? What's in a name?
Here are some better pictures and some more information.epigramophone wrote: Sun Nov 05, 2023 10:39 am Thank you. This will be the start of an article on "the ones they got wrong".
The provenance of this "Shirt" is uncertain.
Most likely it came from the surplus collection of Roy Forbes, a Canadian musician, singer/songwriter, and radio host.
If this assumption is correct, Mr. Forbes most likely acquired it from the Vancouver CBC (for whom he hosted various radio shows) when they dumped their analogue holdings en masse.
The Count Basie recording on the Vocalion Label, Miss Thing Parts 1 and 2 (Matrix number: W24340-A; W24341-A, Catalogue number: 4860; 4860 -- Publication date 1939-04-05) is correct to the "Shirt" under a catalogue number 39/1 shown on a paste-on label. There is another number written in felt pen on the "Shirt," 4860. This is the catalogue number of the Vocalion disk.
What the number 125-E catalogues is unknown. There is no 125-E anywhere on the Vocalion disk.
The horrible self-disintegrating/foxing green paper/cardboard of the "Shirt" is fairly typical of library covers in Canada from the 1930s and early 1940s.
Last edited by Lah Ca on Sun Nov 05, 2023 12:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1315
- Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2021 10:22 pm