Here's some additional data. At least since the early 1910, major record
companies regularly issued
a) for dealers, separate annual numerical lists of "domestic" and "foreign"
(read ethnic) recordings, in the case of Columbia, D and M for domestic, E
and F for ethnic. These thick catalogues listed ALL records currently in
stock.
b) for customers, regular (annual?) catalogues for specific customer groups,
such as Finnish-Americans, Italian-Americans, and of course "race" and "old
time music". "Victor Italian Records"
c) for same, regular (monthly) newsletters of "New Victor Italian Records
for September 1929, etc"
e) regular advertisements in the press, including the foreign-language
press. Just an example: for regular ads of new Finnish-American issues,
check "New Yorkin Uutiset", "Raivaaja" (Fitchburg, mass) and "Tyomies"
(Superior, Wis)
When specialist "ethic" record companies appeared, especially in the 1940s,
they adopted similar policies, so somewhere there must be a collection of
catalogues and newsletters for Standard, Balkan, Continental, Ortophonic
etc. Dick has already listed some libraries where SOME catalogues can be
found, many must be totally lost. or in private collections. The original
compenies dont have them. Have fun tracing them!
Pekka
2011/9/25 Dick Spottswood <[log in to unmask]>
> Doubt of you'll find catalogs on line, and sorry not to have time for
> extended discussions of topics your questions raise. Have a look at
> Ethnic recordings in America (Library of Congress, 1982) You'll find
> catalogs at LC, NYPL and UC Santa Barbara.
>
>
>
>
>
> [ARSCLIST] How did the recording companies inform the various retail
> outlets about what ethnic recordings they had for sale.
>
> Eric Byron
> to:
> ARSCLIST
> 09/25/2011 01:34 PM
>
>
> Sent by:
> Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
> Please respond to Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
>
>
>
>
>
> I have been trying to figure out how the recording companies informed the
> various retail outlets about what ethnic recordings they had for sale. I
> assume that at least by the 1920s companies, such as Victor and Columbia,
> had catalogues similar to the ones that they issued for their regular
> recordings. In fact, the 1923 Catalogue of Victor Records suggests that if
>
> one wants more information on their Hebrew and Italian recordings they
> should look at the Hebrew Catalogue and Italian Catalogue. I have looked
> for
> these catalogues online, but I have not found anything.
>
>
>
> My questions include the following:
>
>
>
> How did the companies inform the retail outlets about what they had for
> sale?
>
> If they issued catalogues for the various ethnic groups, for which groups
> did they issue the catalogues?
>
> When did they start issuing catalogues for anybody and for whom?
>
>
>
> Most importantly, is it possible to get an ethnic catalogue, if such a
> thing
> existed, from you?
>
>
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
>
> Eric Byron
>
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