Belfer Record Sleeve Collection An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University

Record sleeves from several dozen record companies, labels, stores and dealers, the majority located in the United States and a few in other countries.

Language:

Majority in English; scattered items in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Greek, Russian and Danish

Repository:

Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

This is an artificial reference/research collection created by Belfer Audio Archive.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Belfer Record Sleeve Collection consists of record sleeves from several dozen record companies, labels, stores and dealers, the majority located in the United States and a few in other countries. Most are 10" square in size, with a few smaller at 7" square and a few larger at 12" square. Many of the sleeves are decorative and/or include advertising for phonograph-related items such as players and needles.

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Arrangement of the Collection

The sleeves are subdivided into those printed with company or label names, and those printed with retail store or dealer names. Company/label sleeves are arranged alphabetically by name, based on the information appearing on the sleeve. Company names beginning with "Discos" are filed under the next word, so for example "Discos Iberia" will be found under "I". Store/dealer sleeves are arranged alphabetically by country, based on the information appearing on the sleeve.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Corporate Bodies

Columbia Recording Corporation.

Decca Records (Firm)

Edison Bell Phonograph Corporation.

Electrola GmbH.

Odeon (Record company)

Pathé Frères Phonograph Company.

RCA-Victor Company, inc.

Victor Talking Machine Company.

Subjects

Sound recording industry.

Genres and Forms

Picture sleeves.

Record covers.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Belfer Record Sleeve Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Accumulated by Belfer Audio Archive, Syracuse University. Some items gift of John and Susan Harvith, 2014.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MRC
Date: 10 Aug 2012
Revision history: 14 Jun 2023 - miscellaneous additions; new OS 11 created (MRC)

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Inventory

Companies

Oversize 1

Ansonia 7", 10"

Oversize 1

ARA 10"

Oversize 1

Arte Musica - Spain? 10"

Oversize 1

Arto - one includes ad for rolls for player piano 10"

Oversize 1

Atlantic 7", 10"

Oversize 1

A, misc - ABC, Accord (Sweden), Aeolian, Admiral, Aladdin, Alamphon (World War I/war bonds sleeve), Alberti (Germany), Discos America (Venezuela), Animal Records, Discos Antiguos (Antigua), Arion, ASO, Audiodiscs

Oversize 10

A, misc - Aeolian, Artist, Audiodiscs 12"

Oversize 1

Banner 10"

Oversize 1

Bluebird 10"

Oversize 1

Brunswick 7", 10"

Oversize 1

B, misc - BBC (England), Bell, Better Music for Young Folks, Black, Broadcast, Bullet

Oversize 10

B, misc - BBC (England) 12"

Oversize 1

Cameo 10"

Oversize 1

Capitol 7", 10"

Oversize 1

Children's Record Guild 10"

Oversize 2

Columbia 7", 10"

Oversize 9

Columbia 12"

Oversize 2

Continental 10"

Oversize 2

Coral - subsidiary of Decca 7", 10"

Oversize 2

C, misc - Candy, Caravan ("Foodini's Trip to the Moon" and "Snow White"), Clarion, Colonial (Puerto Rico), Concertone, Conqueror (distributed exclusively by Sears Roebuck), Cordion, Crown, Crystalette, Cub

Oversize 10

C, misc - Cetra (Spain), CGD (Compagnia Generale del Disco, Spain?) 12"

Oversize 2

Decca 7", 10"

Oversize 10

Decca 12"

Oversize 2

Dot - includes Pat Boone picture sleeve 7", 10"

Oversize 2

D, misc - Dana, Deluxe, Derby, Deutsche Grammophon (Germany), Discovery, Diva, Domino, Dunhill

Oversize 3

Edison, Edison Diamond Disc 10"

Oversize 3

Electrola - Germany 10"

Oversize 10

Electrola - Germany 12"

Oversize 3

Elite-Special - Germany 10"

Oversize 3

Emerson 6", 7", 10"

Oversize 3

Epic 7"

Oversize 3

E, misc - Excelsior, Exclusive, Discos Exito

Oversize 3

F, misc - Federal, Festival (France), Folkraft (reverse includes folk dance instructions), Fona Radio (Denmark?), Fuentes

Oversize 3

G, misc - Gennett, Gilt-Edge, Gramola (Germany), Grey Gull

Oversize 10

G, misc - Gramola (Germany) 12"

Oversize 3

H, misc - Harmony, Hindenburg (sleeve has line art portrait of him), Hit Record

Oversize 3

I, misc - Discos Iberia (Spain), Immortal Music of the Masters (flexible plastic, possibly India?), Imperial (includes Ricky Nelson picture sleeve), International Records for Children

Oversize 10

I, misc - Ideal (France), Image et Son (Belgium) 12"

Oversize 3

Jien-O-Phone - India 10"

Oversize 3

Jubilee 10"

Oversize 3

Kapp 7"

Oversize 3

King 7", 10"

Oversize 4

Linguaphone - England; includes one hard-sided portfolio-style case 10"

Oversize 4

London 7", 10"

Oversize 10

London 12"

Oversize 4

L, misc - Laurie, Liberty, Listen-n-Sing (includes instructions on singing along, harmonizing), Little Folks Favorites

Oversize 4

Marvela 7", 10"

Oversize 4

Melotone - manufactured by Brunswick 10"

Oversize 4

Mercury 7", 10"

Oversize 4

MGM 7", 10"

Oversize 4

Modern 7", 10"

Oversize 4

Musicraft 10"

Oversize 4

M, misc - Majestic, Marconi Velvet Tone, Masterpiece, Melodisc, Monogram, Moxie, Musart (Disco Irrompibles)

Oversize 10

M, misc - Marconi Velvet Tone, Music Lovers Chest of Records 12"

Oversize 4

New Excelsior - India 10"

Oversize 4

Odeon - includes sleeves from Spain, Germany, France, India; several say "Pressed in the Okeh factories" 7", 10"

Oversize 10

Odeon 12"

Oversize 4

Okeh - see also Odeon 10"

Oversize 4

Oriole - "sold only at McCrory's" 10"

Oversize 5

Panart 7", 10"

Oversize 5

Parlophon - England? 10"

Oversize 5

Pathé - includes one in French 10"

Oversize 9

Pathé 12"

Oversize 5

Perfect 10"

Oversize 5

Polydor - German (Deutsche Grammophon, Berlin) 10"

Oversize 5

Presto 10"

Oversize 5

P, misc - Discos Pampa, Panachord (made by Decca), Parlway, Peerless (Mexico), Pied Piper, Disques Pierrot (Montreal), Playtime Records, Polyphon, Prom,

Oversize 10

P, misc - Pharos (Greece), Presto, Disque Pyral 12"

Oversize 6

RCA Victor - unusual items include picture sleeves for Fontane Sisters, Perry Como, Eartha Kitt, Eddie Fisher; holiday sleeve; Little Nipper Junior series; many sleeves with Victor Talking Machine Company ad; bag with handle; more. Countries represented include Mexico, France, Greece, Italy, Germany, Brazil, more 10"

Oversize 9

RCA Victor 12"

Oversize 5

R, misc - R.C.S. (England), Regal, Reprise (Hollywood / Warner Bros.), Roulette, Royale

Oversize 10

R, misc - Radio Carisch (Italy) 12"

Oversize 5

Savoy 10"

Oversize 5

Signature 10"

Oversize 5

Seeco 7", 10"

Oversize 5

S, misc - Schuster's, Scepter, Discos Silver (Colombia), Silvertone, Smash (division of Mercury), Sonolux, Sonora (incl. one from Sweden[?] printed with ad for portable phonograph), Discos Sonoro (Cuba), Soundcraft, Sparton (printed with ad for portable phonograph), Specialty, Discos Star (Brazil), Sunset

Oversize 10

S, misc - Schirmer's Library of Recorded Music, Schuster's, Silvertone 12"

Oversize 7

Telefunken - Germany; includes two picture sleeves of Erna Sach, Peter Ander[s?], Rosita Serrano, Teddy Stauff

Oversize 7

Tempo 10"

Oversize 7

T, misc - Tops, Transco, The Twin (India)

Oversize 10

T, misc - Transco 12"

Oversize 7

United Artists - includes one from "Silver Spotlight Series" 7"

Oversize 10

U, misc 12"

Oversize 7

Vocalion 10"

Oversize 7

V, misc - Variety, Vaughan, Verne, Vik (Argentina), Vita, Voices of Victory (souvenir sleeve with pictures of FDR and Churchill)

Oversize 7

W, misc - Wand, Wards, Warner Bros., White Eagle (reverse printed with "Polish Popular Songs" list), Wilcox-Gay (cartons rather than sleeves), Wing (division of Mercury), Word, WOR Feature Records (Winston Churchill speeches, souvenir sleeve)

Oversize 7

X, misc - X

Oversize 7

Z, misc - Zephyr, Zonophone (England)

Unidentified - sorted by language

Oversize 10

Chinese, French, Greek

Oversize 8

Russian - includes decorative folk-art style, line drawings of buildings, etc. 7", 10"

Oversize 10

Russian - includes some whose name translates as "April Factory" [?] 12"

Stores/dealers

Oversize 10

United States - California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York

Oversize 10

Other countries - Brazil, Canada, England, Morocco (Casablanca), Spain, Sweden,

Unidentified

Oversize 11

Miscellaneous - large hard-sided album for multiple discs, with decorative medallion on front

Oversize 7

Miscellaneous - sleeves with no identifying information

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Collection inventory

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