Record Labels - International, Unusual and Other

Hover over each image for information about each individual label.

International Labels

My collection focuses on American records, so the international labels are few and far between. Please note that foreign equivalents of American labels are shown in their respective categories.

Broadcast and Broadcast Twelve were British labels that used a smaller label to allow for more playing time, though this one appears to be made like a typical record. This example dates to 1931.

An Italian recording on the Fonit label dating to 1944.

His Masters Voice was a British label produced by the Gramophone Company. In addition to their own recordings, HMV, also issued many American Victor recordings in the UK. This example dates to 1931.

Kiskedee was a small label in the late 1940s releasing Calypso music recorded at Sa Gomes Studios in Trinidad and pressed by Oriole in the UK for sale in the Caribbean. They are very rare today.

Parlophone was a British label. This one is pressed from American Okeh masters. This example dates to 1930.

A German Polydor record produced by Deutsche Grammophon in 1948.

An Australian Regal Zonophone record produced by Columbia. This example dates to 1945.

Rex was a British label that released records from American Record Corporation masters in the 1930s. This example dates to 1933.

The French Swing label, manufactured from 1937 into the 1950s. This example dates to 1942.

Special, Unique, and Other Odd Labels

Some records simply don't fit into another category for one reason or another, they are placed here.

I'm not sure about this record's function or date, perhaps it was an early form of V-Disc.

The reverse of the Fantasy record feaured on the independant label page, a behind the scenes peek into a recording session by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. This dates to 1953.

A special 'Official Record' for Texas A&M College. I have no idea when this was made, but I would estimate that it dates to the 1935-1945 period.

Uncle Tom's Cabin, a notoriously risque 'party' record of unknown date and origin.

V-Discs were 12-inch vinyl records produced by the US War Department for use by the armed forces between 1941 and 1949. They contain some of the few recordings made during the early 1940s recording ban. This example dates to 1943.

Picture Discs

One of the noted 'Vogue' picture records of the late 1940s, featuring popular artists such as Clyde McCoy, and Shep Fields. This example dates to 1946.

Home Recordings/Blank Discs

These blanks were made of a softer material than shellac, such as acetate, that could be easily cut with home recording equipment.

A Duodisc recording blank, this one recorded with a 1948 rendition of 'The Woodpecker Song' by one E.M. Olsen, though the recording is unplayable

A National Hollywood recording disc with the Captain Midnite show recorded on it. This example dates to 1948.

A Soundcraft 'Audition' recording blank, this one is recorded with a demo by a music group that seems to have never made it. It contains an a capella rendition of 'Love is a Many-Splendored Thing' and several other recordings. This example dates to the 1950s.

All images on this page created by R. Connor Montgomery, please do not reproduce without permission.