ABSTRACT
An American record issued from April or May 1921 by the Olympic Disc Record Corp., a subsidiary of the Remington Phonograph Corp. Phil E. Remington was president of Olympic, J.S. Holmes was vice president, Everett H. Holmes was treasurer, and John Fletcher was secretary. Matrices and equipment acquired from the Operaphone Co. formed the basis of the business, which had its main offices in New York; there was also a recording studio in Brooklyn. Material included dance and popular vocal numbers, plus Hawaiian, operatic, and sacred items. Issues ceased after December 1921, when Remington and Olympic went bankrupt. A revival of the label took place in 1922-1923, by the Fletcher Record Co., Inc., of New York. John Fletcher-once vice president of Operaphone and secretary of Olympic Disc Record Corp.—and Harry Pace of the Pace Phonograph Co. were the men who formed that company, through purchase of the Olympic plant. The new company was located in Long Island City. Pace was president of the Pace Phonograph Record Corp., from which Black Swan discs emanated. The Fletcher Co. pressed Black Swan records, and the two labels shared many of the same matrices (contrary to Black Swan’s avowed intention of publishing records only by Black artists). The firm announced bankruptcy in December 1923. The Capitol Roll and Record Co., Chicago, revived the label briefly in 1924. Matrices were brought from Long Island by John Fletcher. One hundred selections were available in November 1924. [Kendziora 1986/4; Kunstadt 1987; Rust 1978.]
FRANK ANDREWS
A British issue, not connected with the American Olympic label, registered as a trademark by the Sound Recording Co., Ltd., in 1912. Exclusive use of the label was taken by Levy’s of Whitechapel, London, which enjoyed rights in the label even after the trademark passed to the Crystalate Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and then to the Crystalate Gramophone Record Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Masters came from Grammavox, Popular, and Imperial. Some Olympics had stuck-on labels over Grammavox and Popular labels. There were 10-inch and 10 1/4-inch sizes, double-faced.
