Scranton Button Company
Encyclopedia
The Scranton Button Company was a U.S.
corporation
, founded in Scranton, Pennsylvania
, in 1885.
For much of its early history it was controlled by Canadian
immigrant William Connell
(September 10, 1827-March 21, 1909). Connell's family moved to Scranton when he was a small child, and at the age of 7 he left school to work in the coal industry to help support his family. With time he moved up to supervisory positions and became rich enough to buy the company when its charter expired, and Connell became an influential Scranton businessmann, serving on several boards of directors. He purchased the Scranton Button Company shortly after its founding.
Besides buttons, the company manufactured parts for telephone
s and advertising novelties. By 1915, the company was pressing 3 million buttons per day. Since many of the buttons were made out of shellac
, the company had the ability to work with this material and in the 1920s it branched out from making button
s into pressing gramophone record
s out of the same material. It offered full-service record production to any retailer that desired its own label.
In 1924 it bought Emerson Records
and in July 1929 it merged with Regal Records
, Cameo Records
, Banner Records
and the US branch of Pathé Records
to form the American Record Corporation
.
From 1929-on, Scranton pressed Brunswick
, Melotone
, Perfect
, Banner
, Regal
, Domino, Conqueror
, Vocalion
and other ARC labels. (Even though Columbia
were bought by ARC in 1934, Columbia records were pressed at Columbia's Bridgeport, CT. plant.)
The company was acquired in 1946 by Capitol Records
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
, founded in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, in 1885.
For much of its early history it was controlled by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
immigrant William Connell
William Connell (Pennsylvania)
William Connell was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Connell was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia and moved with his parents to Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in 1844...
(September 10, 1827-March 21, 1909). Connell's family moved to Scranton when he was a small child, and at the age of 7 he left school to work in the coal industry to help support his family. With time he moved up to supervisory positions and became rich enough to buy the company when its charter expired, and Connell became an influential Scranton businessmann, serving on several boards of directors. He purchased the Scranton Button Company shortly after its founding.
Besides buttons, the company manufactured parts for telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
s and advertising novelties. By 1915, the company was pressing 3 million buttons per day. Since many of the buttons were made out of shellac
Shellac
Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes , which are dissolved in ethyl alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish...
, the company had the ability to work with this material and in the 1920s it branched out from making button
Button
In modern clothing and fashion design, a button is a small fastener, most commonly made of plastic, but also frequently of seashell, which secures two pieces of fabric together. In archaeology, a button can be a significant artifact. In the applied arts and in craft, a button can be an example of...
s into pressing gramophone record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s out of the same material. It offered full-service record production to any retailer that desired its own label.
In 1924 it bought Emerson Records
Emerson Records
Emerson Records was a record label active in the United States between 1916 to 1928. Emerson Records produced between the 1910s and early 1920s offered generally above average audio fidelity for the era, pressed in high quality shellac. The fidelity of the later issues compares less...
and in July 1929 it merged with Regal Records
Regal Records (1921)
thumb|150px|First US Regal RecordRegal Records was a US record label owned by the Plaza Music Company that issued recordings from 1921 through 1931. Masters were recorded by Emerson Records, and issued mostly in chain stores for 50 cents each...
, Cameo Records
Cameo Records
Cameo was a USA based budget record label, first flourishing in the 1920s, not connected with a later record label of the same name which was active in the 1950s and 1960s.The Cameo Record Company was based in Manhattan, New York...
, Banner Records
Banner Records
Banner Records was a United States based record label of the 20th century.Banner Records was launched in January 1922 by the Plaza Music Company of New York City. Banner was an extremely popular label in the 1920s, concentrating on popular music of the day. To this day, Banners are often found all...
and the US branch of Pathé Records
Pathé Records
Pathé Records was a France-based international record label and producer of phonographs, active from the 1890s through the 1930s.- Early years :...
to form the American Record Corporation
American Record Corporation
ARC, the American Record Company, also referred to as American Record Corporation, or as ARC Records, was a United States based record company...
.
From 1929-on, Scranton pressed Brunswick
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
, Melotone
Melotone Records
Melotone Records has been the name of two unrelated record companies.* Melotone Records , Australia* Melotone Records , United States of America...
, Perfect
Perfect Records
Perfect Records was a United States based record label of the 1920s and 1930s. It was a subsidiary of Pathé Records, producing standard lateral cut 78 rpm disc records for the US market....
, Banner
Banner Records
Banner Records was a United States based record label of the 20th century.Banner Records was launched in January 1922 by the Plaza Music Company of New York City. Banner was an extremely popular label in the 1920s, concentrating on popular music of the day. To this day, Banners are often found all...
, Regal
Regal Records
Regal Records may refer to:*Regal Records - a British record label, founded by the Columbia Graphophone Company*Regal Records - a Spanish record label*Regal Records - a United States company...
, Domino, Conqueror
Conqueror Records
Conqueror Records was a United States-based record label, active from about 1926 through 1942. The label was sold exclusively through Sears, Roebuck and Company.The record sleeves state that the proper playing speed for Conqueror Records is 80 rpm....
, Vocalion
Vocalion Records
Vocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
and other ARC labels. (Even though Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
were bought by ARC in 1934, Columbia records were pressed at Columbia's Bridgeport, CT. plant.)
The company was acquired in 1946 by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
.