Musicraft Records, Inc., 1936-1959

Musicraft Records, Incorporated business records and audio recordings (1937-1960) consists of 9.25 cubic feet of records housed in 9 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.