Victor
Import Labels
The
Gramophone Company began to pressing
recordings from metal parts, i.e., stampers,
imported from the Victor Company as
early as April 1901. These were identified
by the following formula placed below
the Recoding Angel trademark, which
was reduced in size, and above the Gramophone
Company designation.
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Made
by
The
Victor Talking Machine Co., Camden,
U.S.A.
For
sale in The British Possessions
(except Canada) And on the Continent
of Europe
By
The Gramophone and Typewriter
Ltd.
and
Sister
Companies
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The
initial G&T pressings of Victor
imports were assigned catalog numbers
in the 3000 series, which conflicted
with G&T’s own series of solo female
recordings. Since the ten-inch records
had been designed as Victor Monarchs
in America, the prefix V.M. was
now added to clarify the conflict.
In addition to the smaller Angel trademark,
the Victor issues of imported recordings
from April 1903 to February 1905 were
given catalog numbers with the prefix
V.M. for both ten- and twelve-
inch records. The meaning of this prefix
is not quite clear at this point, since
it was used for both sizes. It is found
on thirteen of the Caruso recordings
made for Victor in February and April
1904 and February 27, 1905, including
seven ten-inch and six twelve-inch recordings,
issued by the Gramophone and Typewriter
Ltd., before November 19, 1907, when
the company designation was changed
to The Gramophone Company Limited.
The prefix is not found on imports issued
with pre-DOG labels.
The
G&T label on the left above, recorded
February 27, 1905, should have been
issued with the Victor import imprint,
while the pre-DOG label on the right,
issued after November 18, 1907, was
never printed with the import information.
Note
that the Angel trademark on the imported
labels is much smaller than those seen
on the Russian pre-DOG label on the
right below. In the pair of labels below,
the smaller Angel is found on the Monarch
label, although the two labels are identical
in overall diameter, 91 mm.
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Vienna
June 1907
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Milan
June 1907
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London
Pre-DOG, Sep-Oct 1907
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Russian
Pre-DOG, June 28, 1910
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The
Gramophone Company or pre-DOG Period
On
November 18, 1907 the company’s name
was changed to The Gramophone Company,
Limited. This date marked the beginning
of the so-called pre-DOG period, when
the company’s designation below the
trademark was changed from
The
Gramophone & Typewriter Limited,
and Sister Companies to
The Gramophone Company, Limited,
and Sister Companies, accompanied
by the font change as shown.
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January 10, 1908, stamper II
November 6, 1909
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The
pre-DOG format is seen on both red and
black labels, as well on pink, pale
green and pale blue preceding the introduction
of the DOG trademark in August 1910.
These labels are often referred to as
GCL, from the initials of the
new company designation. Some pressing
made in Russia bear the overprint
indicating
that the record had been manufactured
in Riga. The translation is Manufactured
by "society GRAMOPHONE with limited
responsibility" in RIGA. The
Russian company designation may also
be printed on the label.
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Russian
company overprint
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Russian company designation
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The
labels below show pre-DOG Red Celebrity
labels, recorded in 1904 and in late
October 1904 or early November 1907.
They are unusual because the Red Celebrity
label had been replaced by pink labels
in late 1906. Obviously the exact dates
are uncertain. Several others are known.
