Mercury - Biography

Biography - Mercury

USA

US label founded in 1945 in Chicago, Illinois, by Irving Green, Berle Adams, and Arthur Talmadge.

Mercury issued records in many numerical series
pop (1000-5912 and 70000 series),
country (6000 series),
children's music (7000 series),
rhythm (8000 series),
jazz (8900 and 89000 series),
with a special series for Norman Granz' Jazz At The Philharmonic recordings (11000 series).

In Jan. 1946, the company name changed from "Mercury Radio and Television Corp." to "Mercury Record Co."

The earliest labels feature an Art Deco Mercury head framed by two lightning bolts on each side below the label name. There was a complete rim text.

Around November 1946, this design changes to a cartoon drawing of a Mercury head above the label name in a script font. There was no rim text.

A new label with a stylized helmeted Mercury head was introduced in Fall 1948. It exists in two versions:
On version 1, the logo head is shaded, and the company name is listed at the bottom as "Mercury Record Corporation, Chicago, Ill. Made in U.S.A." This design seems to come from the St. Louis plant.
On version 2, the logo head appears without shading, and the company name reads "Mercury Record Corp. Chicago, Illinois U.S.A." .

"Non Breakable" appeared on labels on March 15, 1949, as pressings on the new Merco Plastic material began.

In 1953, "Chicago" disappeared from the bottom text. Instead, the phrase changed to "Mercury Record Corporation. Made in U.S.A."

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