[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: [ARSCLIST] Question: sources for record compannies between 1890-1950
Yue, Joseph wrote:
I am writing to this list at the suggestion of the music librarian here at UCLA. I am helping a faculty to locate basic business information (when company started and dissolved (if), record labels the company managed, number of employees and amount of camptial) for around 100 record companies between 1890-1950. The faculty member has a list of company names.
I would think that the companies could be traced just like any other
companies by using the financial files of the states they were
incorporated in. There also were financial reporting companies like The
Bradstreet Company, and these files might be archived somewhere. Is the
list the faculty member has of the companies or the record label names?
If he is asking for info on what "record labels the company managed" it
sounds like he has the company name and not the label name. If the UCLA
or LA libraries have the annual business directories of cities around
the country, that is where the info might be. But there are also annual
yearbooks or directories from some of the trade press. I am not sure
about the early years but from the late 30s Billboard started publishing
an annual "Encyclopedia of Music" which has a lot of listings of record
companies. Broadcasting magazine's annual Yearbook starting in 1937
lists the officers of companies including record companies. But
detailed financial info is a whole different area. This would not be
publicly published, it would only be in financial reports. For example,
I have here the Bradstreet financial report of the National Radio
Advertising Co. that was found in the Edison files because they would
investigate any company they were thinking of doing business with. It
lists their debts, profits, and even how much cash they have in the
bank. But Edison had to pay to get this report.
There's basic info in Sutton & Nauck's "American Record Labels and
Companies" and Rust's "American Record Label Book" but not the detailed
financial and personnel info.
Ray Wile might have info on early companies from his research using
court cases. His contact info is in the ARSC member directory.
Michael Biel mbiel@xxxxxxxxx
However, after consulting with a few colleagues on campus, I was not still able to come up with possible sources that would provide this kind of company history as many of these company are small, private and short-lived. Any suggestions any of you may have will be highly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Joseph Yue
Librarian for Political Science, Social Welfare, Global Studies, International Documents, East Asian Studies (except sources in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean languages), and Sociology (interim)
UCLA Library