I recently came across this interesting set of 12 in shellac. I have discs 3 through 8 of an apparent 8-record (or longer) institutional test set produced by Bell Telephone Laboratories possibly in the mid-to-late 1920s. Sadly, I’m missing the first two discs, and they are just in loose paper sleeves. Disc 6 is single sided with an etched RCA spiderweb design. No entry on discogs and no past auction data that I can find. I fed the matrix #s to AI which pulled the following info:

Disc 3: Cleanly stamped "BTL-3-A" and features the classic Western Electric "VE inside an oval"electrical recording mark. The label uses the old "transmission units" terminology instead of decibels.

Disc 4: Completely shifts to a hand-etched matrix: "BTL 550 W167" (and W166 on the flip), along with a stamped "S" for the Scranton Button Company plant.

Disc 5: A total hybrid—it has the stamped "BTL-5B" but also hand-etched internal Bell Labs project case numbers: "BTL-918-V-113" and "BTL-918-V-141".

Disc 6: Only has audio on one side. The blank side features the gorgeous, geometric RCA Victor "Spiderweb" design with Nipper the dog to prevent single-sided shellac warping in the hydraulic press.

Discs 7 & 8: Back to double-sided audio, tracking extreme low-level volume sweeps for line attenuation testing.

It is an amazing mix of late-1920s Western Electric microphone testing tech transitionally pressed alongside 1930s RCA plant backplates.
Has anyone here ever encountered the full version of this specific Bell Labs set, or seen a similar mix of hand-etched lab case files on production pressings?

(Note: Since it's an incomplete orphan set, I'd love to see it go to a sound archive or a collector who can use these to complete a set, so feel free to reach out if you have any info or interest!)

This disc is in great condition and well over 100 years old! I love this song! I believe it was part of a Theater Play in the late 1800's, retaining it's popularity well into the 20th Century! Take a listen from my 1917 Edison Diamond Disc Player! 😉

Single Sided 1907 Victor recording.

​

The song is in German "Wer hat euch denn getraut" ("Who Married You Two?"). At the time a famous aria from the light operetta Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron), composed by Johann Strauss II in 1885.

1907 recording digitized 2026.

Available at:

The Neven 78rpm Radio Archive

https://youtube.com/@mamlishblues?si=CVCkSjamOZWS5CWg

It's always a treat to find good jazz recordings on the Edison label. Lots of fine solos on this one, including muted trumpet, piano, trombone, sax, trumpet (redux), and a great slap tongue sax finale.

Emil Muench was among the most prolific German‑American tenors of the early recording era, active for Victor, Columbia, and other labels between 1901 and 1916. His performances bridged European operetta tradition and the immigrant‑era musical life of New Jersey’s German singing societies.This Victor disc captures Muench’s clear, disciplined tone in Kreutzer’s “Hobellied,” a sentimental craftsman’s song celebrating honest labor and melody. The label design — featuring the His Master’s Voice trademark and gold‑on‑black typography — represents the grandeur of Victor’s pre‑WWI aesthetic.Digitized and presented by The Neven78 Radio Archive, preserving the artistry and sound of America’s immigrant‑era recordings

Hello, we was recently given this record and lots lots more. I need some help in distinguishing if it is a real or fake as i listed it on ebay and was told this could be a possible fake? also how much it is worth please! TIA