‘Red Seal’ Was a Mark of Quality in Records

Question: I have some Victor Red Seal records that have been in the family for years. How far back does the label go?--T.S.

Answer: Eldridge Johnson, a name somewhat obscure in the history of music-related inventions, founded the Victor Record Co. shortly after the turn of the century. As it turned out, the firm became the predecessor of RCA Victor.

More than two decades later, Johnson was bought out by Radio Corp. of America. During that time, Johnson’s firm manufactured both phonographs and records, but it’s the records that most collectors seek these days.

The term “Red Seal” got started with Johnson’s brainstorm to color-code his records--he would assign colors to different kinds of recordings. Thus, “Red Seal” referred to special recordings made by well-known performers.

In time, Victor’s Red Seal label became synonymous with a product that was of top quality in terms of sound recording. (Actually, engineers and music experts reviewing the old Red Seal records have generally concluded that the sound quality probably wasn’t much better than that of competing recording companies.)

Few, if any, competitors could touch Johnson for the quality of his performers, which included some of the best of the time. One of those artists was Enrico Caruso, who in 1903 cut what is believed to be the first record to sell 1 million copies.

In the field of the phonographs, Johnson scored a real coup in 1901.

That was the year Victor acquired rights to Nipper, the white fox terrier who listened quizzically to “His Master’s Voice” coming out of the speaking horn of a Victrola.

No product of the imagination, Nipper was a real dog whose British artist-owner painted the original likeness of his pet in the 1890s, along with the “His Master’s Voice” message displayed in the painting. (The artist’s name was Francis Barraud.)

A variation of the Nipper design was sold in the 1890s to the Gramophone Corp. of Great Britain. Victor acquired the North American rights to Nipper in 1901.

Nipper became an almost overnight success in terms of an advertising symbol. His image appeared on all Victrolas and Victor records and, right through World War II, a cardboard likeness of Nipper sat outside of thousands of record stores throughout the United States.

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Thimble Collectors International’s most recent publication is entitled “Thread Winders for Collectors” by Diane Pelham-Burn. The illustrated 51-page booklet is free to every new TCI member.

“Thread winders were an essential part of sewing equipment--like needles and scissors--and every work box and basket contained them,” says the author. “They had been in use for hundreds of years, and they remained popular well into the 20th Century.”

TCI has also published a number of other booklets in its continuing research into thimbles and other sewing collectibles, according to Dorothy Friend, a member of the TCI board of directors.

To join the club or receive information about it, send a self-addressed envelope to Thimble Collectors International, 6411 Montego Bay Road, Louisville, Ky. 40228. Membership fee: $25.