Hi all,  Steve Bentley sent in an inquiry about QRS using Paper and
rubber stamped box labels.  Although I don't have a large collections
of the stamped boxes, I do know that they were using the rubber stamped
box labels in 1960 and went into 1961, if not further.  I do have
a QRS Ampico box with the label information stamped onto the box.

If you want to know the titles, they are 6042 "There's a tavern in the
town" (probably an old best seller at the time); 9772 "I want to be
wanted" (Brenda Lee); 9783 "Hey, look me over" ("Wildcat" musical with
Lucille Ball); 9810 "Asia Minor" (a pop tune by "Kokomo" 1961) and
Ampico title "No No Nanette", QRS-Ampico 1033.

Some time after that 1960s period they found an easier way to apply
self-adhesive labels onto the roll boxes.  They were probably computer
generated, as they are today.

Putting paper labels onto the roll boxes was time consuming and
expensive.  That tradition was stopped in 1919 when the rubber stamped
information was pressed onto the roll leader by a production worker.
It was a lot quicker to stamp the information onto the leader than to
get a paper label glued and pressed into place.  All the information to
be placed on the stamped leader was made by a photo-chemical process
and then it was glued with rubber cement onto a steel plate (this
included the pianists signature).

The steel plate was secured into the stamper, and away the operator
went, stamping away.  An experienced operator was very good at her
craft and could go through 18 copies of a roll in a flash, stamping all
the leader information perfectly.  A new employee, given the same task
would take a lot longer to get the same task done, and smudges did
appear from time to time.

Rubber signatures were used over and over as required.  Some became
faint over the years and were eventually replaced.  Hope that helps
out.

Best wishes,

Mike Walter - Former QRS Production Manager
Buffalo, New York