MC 021

Guide to the Musicraft Records, Inc., Records 1937-1960

By Erika Gorder

1998

Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University Libraries.

Finding aid encoded in EAD, version 2002, by Tad Hershorn, Robert Nahory and Caryn Radick - August 2012

Historical Overview: MUSICRAFT Records, Inc.

Musicraft Records was founded in New York in 1937 as part of the Jefferson Travis Radio Corporation. The company initially recorded classical music and earned a good reputation for quality releases in its first four years. During and after the Second World War, Musicraft began recording popular music. Jazz became an important element of their catalog after Albert Marx joined the company as artistic director in 1944 and as a result of the purchase of Guild Records in 1946. Among the many musicians who recorded new material for Musicraft were Teddy Wilson, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, Georgie Auld, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sarah Vaughan By 1949, Musicraft had recorded more than a thousand items, most of which were jazz. However, late in 1948, Musicraft filed for bankruptcy, its catalog was leased to MGM Records, which owned it well into the 1950s. In the 1970s the label was revived by Albert Marx, then president of the renewed Trend and Discovery labels in Los Angeles.

Musicraft Records Inc. was a subsidiary of the Jefferson Travis Radio Corporation (later Musicraft Recording Corporation.) Indeed, the historical records bear out the existence of Jefferson Travis in 1937 but not Musicraft Records until 1942. Nonetheless, the company finally emerged as Musicraft Records, Inc. in 1947 with a fully developed vertical organizational structure. Various companies absorbed by Musicraft/Jefferson-Travis since 1937, with many sharing similar Boards of Directors, included: Union Aircraft Co., the Fonda Corporation, Musicraft Distributing Corporation (originally Hilton Distributing Corp.), Musicraft Manufacturing Company, Abbey Music, Century Distributors, Emcee Music, Olympic Record Corporation, and Guild Records.

Individual Company Histories:

Musicraft Records, Inc.: Began recording in 1936 but its official organization was not until 1937; incorporated (NY) August 10, 1942; A subsidiary of Jefferson-Travis Radio Manufacturing Corporation (which became Musicraft Recording Corp.); Planning of intercompany consolidation began March 19, 1947 for Musicraft Recording Corp (formerly Jefferson-Travis Corp.) and its subsidiary Musicraft Records, Inc. resulting in Musicraft Records, Inc.'s emergence as the parent company. The consolidation of May 1947 included the big four: Musicraft Records, Inc., Musicraft Recording Corp., Musicraft Manufacturing, and Musicraft Distributors. Common personnel links, throughout, were directors Edgar Ellinger, Irving Felt, and Paul Puner.

Jefferson Travis Radio Manufacturing Corp /Jefferson Travis Corporation: (Incorporated 1937) The business originally consisted of the design, engineering, and production of two-way radio communications and continuous sound recording-playback machines through the medium of acetate in cellophane tape; Jefferson Travis entered into a contract with Fonda Corporation (est. 1939) in February 1941; merger with Fonda Corp. in April 30, 1945 to become the Jefferson Travis Corporation; November 1945--acquired stock of Musicraft Corporation; December 1945 acquired stock of Union Aircraft Products Corp. (which manufactured aircraft fittings and junction boxes); January 16, 1946 -- acquired Guild Records Inc. from American Glossite as a wholly-owned subsidiary devoted to manufacture and pressing of phonograph records for "another of the wholly-owned subsidiaries of the parent company" (possibly Musicraft Records); June 1946--acquired all stock of Musicraft Distributors, Inc.; October 22, 1946--all assets of JTC Radio Communications Division sold to Emerson Radio Phonograph Corporation including use of JT name with the exception of the tape recorder hence the name Jefferson Travis Corporation was changed to Musicraft Recording Corporation which had thus disassociated itself from radio communication equipment business; December 1946--Union Aircraft Products no longer affiliated with Musicraft Recording Corp.; May 28, 1947--Merger with Musicraft Records Inc.; February 26, 1947--Guild machinery and equipment was sold and as of 1948 was an inactive wholly-owned subsidiary of corp.

Musicraft Distributing Corporation: (Incorporated April 20, 1946) Originally founded as Hilton Distribution Corporation in February 15, 1946 for the purpose of buying "Gwirtz Franchises" for the sale and distribution of Musicraft Records. Acquired by JTC in June 1946.

Musicraft Manufacturing Corporation: A wholly-owned subsidiary of Musicraft Corporation (Musicraft Records) which operated the Ossing, N.Y. pressing plant. Musicraft Manufacturing (of NY) stock was held by Century Distributors.

Abbey Music Corporation: Established September 1945 as subsidiary of Musicraft for the purpose of music publishing, but having no assets and conducting no business, was dissolved in May 1946.

Century Distributors, Inc.: Founded in September 1944 and consolidated with Musicraft in December 1945; Albert Marx becomes associated with Musicraft through Century (in which he was involved since 1944).

Fonda Corporation: Founded in Delaware in July 21, 1939 by Jay Fonda, the company produced and designed radio and sound recording equipment. In particular, it outfitted the U.S. military with radio equipment during the Second World War and developed a sound recording machine for the peacetime market. This "tape recorder" was one of the earliest prototypes for tape recording. After initial contracting in 1941, Fonda entered into contracts with Jefferson Travis in January 1943 for coordinated production of radio equipment for Union Aircraft. It was eventually acquired as a wholly owned subsidiary of Jefferson Travis Radio Manufacturing Corporation in April 1945.

Guild Records: Prior to its incorporation in Connecticut in 1945, operated as part of the American Glossite Company; incorporated as wholly owned subsidiary of the former in May 1945; acquired as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jefferson-Travis Corporation in January 1946 along with its pressing plant in Norwalk, Conn. Guild Records relied on popular names, not advertising, to sell records. It recorded various artists in new and popular genres including calypso--represented by Gerald Clark and His Original Calypsos, among others. In the "Hot Jazz" field, Guild recorded Dizzy Gillespie and featured sidemen and musicians including Don Byas, Slam Stewart, Charlie Parker, Maurice Rocco with Cozy Cole and Billy Taylor, Georgie Auld, Erskine Butterfield, and Jesse Rogers.

Olympic Record Corporation: A wholly-owned subsidiary of Musicraft Corporation (Musicraft Records) that operated Los Angeles pressing plant.

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Scope and Content Notes

The Musicraft Records, Inc. Records (1937-1960) Collection consists of 9.25 cubic feet of records housed in 8 Paige boxes, 1 document box, and one flat box plus 18 linear feet of audio tapes, record albums, acetates (test pressings) and 78 rpm disks. The collection is divided into 15 subgroups, consisting of subsidiaries and predecessors of Musicraft Records, Inc. The main subgroup, Musicraft Records, is further divided into six subseries which include: Minutes, General Correspondence, Correspondence and Documents, Financial and Legal, Copyright Contracts, and Artists Contracts. Many of the financial ledgers are housed separately as oversized items. The other subgroupings, which consist of Musicraft's "parent" company, the Jefferson-Travis Corporation, and its subsequent subsidiaries are: Musicraft Distributors, Inc., Musicraft Manufacturing, Musicraft Recording Corporation, Abbey Music, Century Distributors, Emcee Music, Fonda Corporation, Guild Records, Inc., Hamptone Company, Olympic Record Corp., Educational Audio Visual, and William Fortgang ventures.

The bulk of the collection consists of four boxes of Musicraft Records, Inc. records documenting the period 1942-1949. Although Musicraft is said to have been founded in 1937, and we know it began recording music in 1936, the archival materials seem to substantiate the company's evidential incorporation in 1942. The records thoroughly document the formal operations of the company through a full run of Board of Director's Minutes and Copyright Contracts which cover the period 1942-1948. Musicraft Records Inc.'s documentation is rather sketchy, however, in the general correspondence and financial series but seems to adequately represent the "bankruptcy" period of 1948-1950. The completeness of the various copyright and artists contracts is also unclear. Of particular interest are the oversized copies of Musicraft Records' recording ledgers which give the only detailed information regarding the recording and production from late 1936 to 1946.

The second largest and equally important subgroup is the Jefferson-Travis Radio Manufacturing Corporation records, predominantly Board of Directors minutes from 1937-1946. Although primarily financial and stock information the minutes, and various reports and correspondence dispersed throughout, provide documentation regarding record and radio manufacturing during the Second World War. It is likely that this subgroup provides the sole documentation of the whole corporation from its origins in 1937.

The remaining subgroups represent either subsidiaries of Jefferson-Travis Radio Manufacturing Corp. or later Musicraft Records, Inc. and illustrate the complex vertical industrial organization of the company covering various aspects of record production: artists and repertoire, recording, record pressing (manufacturing), distribution, and songwriting/royalties.

Of special note are the subgroups for the Fonda Corporation and Guild Records. The Fonda Corporation records include minutes from 1939 to 1945 which document the progress of a company responsible for the development of one of the first magnetic tape recording devices. Unfortunately, this series does not include research and development files. The Guild Records material includes minutes and general ledgers from 1944-1946, the period when Musicraft began recording jazz artists.

The Educational Audio Visual and William Fortgang (ventures) subgroups are only marginally related to Musicraft. The former consists of files and catalogs regarding the various educational a/v materials produced during the 1960s. The William Fortgang subgroup consists of miscellaneous correspondence and financial documents regarding several business ventures of Fortgang, former Treasurer of Musicraft Records, Inc.

Included in Musicraft Records Inc. archives is a large library of released Musicraft records/disks consisting of acetates, official and promotional releases as well as thirty (30) preservation or safety copies of miscellaneous recordings on 7" and 10" open reel 1/4" tape.

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Arrangement Note

The collection is divided into 15 Subgroups, consisting of subsidiaries and predecessors of Musicraft Records, Inc.:

Many of the financial ledgers are housed separately as oversized items. The other subgroups, which consist of Musicraft's "parent" company, the Jefferson-Travis Corporation, and its subsequent subsidiaries are: Musicraft Distributors, Inc., Musicraft Manufacturing, Musicraft Recording Corporation, Abbey Music, Century Distributors, Emcee Music, Fonda Corporation, Guild Records, Inc., Hamptone Company, Olympic Record Corp., Educational Audio Visual, and William Fortgang ventures.

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Restrictions

Restrictions apply to payroll books, personnel sheets, contracts and social security registers in this collection.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Musicraft Records, Inc. Records 1937-1960 (MC 021), Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University Libraries.

Acquisition Notes

Musicraft Records, Inc. records (archives) were given to the Institute of Jazz Studies by Oliver Sabin (former sales manager/director for Musicraft Records). In addition, ledger sheets (recording sheets) are in private ownership.

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Detailed Description/Container List

This section provides descriptions of the materials found within the collection, which is divided into 15 Subgroups consisting of subsidiaries and predecessors of Musicraft Records, Inc. Many of the financial ledgers are housed separately as oversized items. The other subgroups, which consist of Musicraft's "parent" company, the Jefferson-Travis Corporation, and its subsequent subsidiaries are: Musicraft Distributors, Inc., Musicraft Manufacturing, Musicraft Recording Corporation, Abbey Music, Century Distributors, Emcee Music, Fonda Corporation, Guild Records, Inc., Hamptone Company, Olympic Record Corp., Educational Audio Visual, and William Fortgang ventures.