By Allan Sutton Label photos courtesy of Kurt Nauck S ometimes regarded as a homely stepsister to the more glamorous Paramount, Puritan was truly a label with multiple personalities, and its various configurations continue to puzzle collectors. Paramount, Puritan, and the United Phonographs Corporation Puritan was registered as a trademark by the United Phonographs Corporation of Sheboygen and Port Washington, Wisconsin. Despite that claim, the earliest known mention of the brand occurs in the Talking Machine World for May 1918. Nevertheless, when the Paramount label was launched on a small scale in late 1917, it was clearly credited to NYRL rather than United Phonographs.
Public reaction seems to have been lukewarm despite a determined marketing effort.
Judging from the relative scarcity of Puritan products, his efforts were less than effective. The first filigree design appeared later in 1920. Despite their labels crediting United Phonographs, they were purely NYRL products from the start. The label underwent several changes in design and color scheme before the familiar grape-leaf design appeared in early 1922. Later that year, the NYRL name was substituted on labels for United Phonographs.