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Oxford Record Label

1906 El Capitan March. 7in. disc. Probably made by Columbia

Oxford Record Label (1906-1916)

The Oxford Record Label was a Sears label that came after Sears’ discontinuation of their Harvard Label. They are single-sided and can be found as either a 7in. disc or a 10in. disc.  At the start, Sears used Leeds and Catlin from 1906-1908 to produce the record, switched to Columbia from 1908-1909, then to Victor (using their Zon-o-phone masters) between 1909-1911, and then back to Columbia between 1911-1916. Indeed, Columbia continued to produce for Sears under the Oxford label a 7in. disc while Victor produced a 10in. disc. Recordings are mostly anonymous For an excellent review of the Oxford label see the sources below.

Music Genres: Waltz, Black or “Coon” music, Orchestra, Marches, Operettas.

Pre World War II Label: Purple with Oxford in a scripted style.

1906 El Capitan March. 7in. disc. Probably made by Columbia
1906 El Capitan March by Soussa. 7in. disc. Probably made by Columbia.
1908 Negro Laughing Song. Probably made by Victor using Zonophone masters.
1908 Negro Laughing Song by George W. Johnson. Probably made by Victor using Zonophone masters.

While not an Oxford Label it is an example of the Negro Laughing Song by George W. Johnson who was the first African-American to sing on a record.

Leg of Mutton Oxford Record label 36773
Leg of Mutton Le Gigot. 12in. Oxford Record Label #36773. Probably made by Columbia in the early 1910s.

 Leg of Mutton Le Gigot, 1913.

Numbers to 1945: Columbia will switch to a new label called Silvertone in 1915/1916.

1-1000 (by Columbia, Zonophone)1000-2000 (by Columbia, Zonophone)
3000 – 5000 (by Columbia)        5000 (by Zonophone)

Sources:
http://www.mainspringpress.com/sears-labels.html

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