Vim Records

VimCompanyAd-1903

Vim Records was a short-lived United States record label. The Vim Company was founded in 1896, and it was active in labeling records in the first decade of the 20th century.[1] Vim was primarily a sporting goods store, but also sold bicycles and electrical goods amongst other things. The Record Research newsletter categorizes the firm as a "Department Store Label" meaning they entered into an agreement with an already established record company, and "... they proceeded to have their own records pressed with the name of the department store prominently printed on the label."[2]

Vim Records were single-sided lateral cut disc records. Vim was recorded and manufactured by the International Talking Machine Company and also by Leeds & Catlin. Vim records are rare. Vim discs include issues of ragtime banjo music recorded by Vess L. Ossman.

The company offices were relocated at some point. Known address are:[3]

A branch office was opened in late 1903 at 704 West Walnut Street, Des Moines, Iowa.[4] In 1906 the branch was moved to 808 West Walnut Street,[5] and in 1907 it was moved to 204 7th Street.[6] This location remained open until late 1908 when the firm of Harger & Blish, an established firm from Dubuque, Iowa, were appointed the jobbers in Des Moines.[7]

The last listing for the firm producing records in Chicago was in the Edison Phonograph Monthly January 1910 issue.[8]

The owner and president of the company was New York native Leon Atwell Olmsted who came to Chicago in the 1890s. After opening his first store in 1896 he eventually expanded to a total of 7 stores in Chicago and another 10 throughout the nation.[9] It was originally reported that he died in a fire at his home in Minocqua, Wisconsin at the age of 63, but it was soon learned that he died of exhaustion after fighting the blaze.[10] [11] At the time of his death in 1936 the stores were being managed by his son Leslie B. Olmsted.

Recordings

Record Number Artist(s) Recording Name Type Year Recorded
X2163 Burr & Gordon My Old Kentucky Home Tenor & Baritone Duet
Harold Eisenberg Traumerei (Reverie) Violin Solo
2098 Billy Murray You're A Grand Old Rag Tenor Solo
X304 Merry Makers Band
Frank Stanley The Old Church Bell
Fredericks and Strange Jesus Lover of My Soul Duet
X336 The Forge in the Forest Band
2099 Billy Murray Cheyenne Tenor Solo
V-11 Henry Burr Silver Heels Tenor Solo
2054 Billy Murray I've Got a Little Money, and I Saved it All For You Tenor Solo
1621 Joe Brown So Long Mary Baritone Solo
2105 Billy Murray How Would You Like to Spoon With Me? Tenor Solo
3105 Arthur Collins & Byron G. Harlan It's up to You to Move Baritone and Tenor Duet

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Vim company, Chicago, Ill.". Catalogue of Title Entries of Books. 26 (1): 990. January 3, 1901. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  2. ↑ Kunstadt, Leonard (April 1955). "An Introduction to the Department Store Labels". Record Research. 1 (2): 5–6. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Jobbers of Edison Phonographs and Records". Edison Phonograph Monthly. Orange, New Jersey: The National Phonograph Company. 1 (2): 11. April 1903. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Among the Jobbers". Edison Phonograph Monthly. Orange, New Jersey: The National Phonograph Company. 1 (9): 9. November 1903. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Among the Jobbers". Edison Phonograph Monthly. Orange, New Jersey: The National Phonograph Company. 4 (5): 5. July 1906. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Among Jobbers". Edison Phonograph Monthly. Orange, New Jersey: The National Phonograph Company. 5 (2): 8. April 1907. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Among Jobbers". Edison Phonograph Monthly. Orange, New Jersey: The National Phonograph Company. 6 (11): 13. November 1908. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Jobbers of Edison Phonographs and Records". Edison Phonograph Monthly. Orange, New Jersey: The National Phonograph Company. 8 (1): 32. January 1910. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Fire Injuries Are Fatal To L. A. Olmsted". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. April 25, 1936. p. 14.
  10. ↑ "Will of L. Atwill Olmsted Gives Wife $175,000 Estate". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. May 3, 1936. p. 30.
  11. ↑ "Beg Your Pardon". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. May 11, 1936. p. 7.
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