German company sleeve
Kristall “musicians and dancers” banner sleeve
A later 1930s Kristall design, and the roundel sleeve that may have come before it. Both are described from published examples.
Dating at a glance
- In use
- probably about 1935 – 1941
not directly confirmed - Confidence
- Medium-low
- Basis
- A dealer’s chronological ordering of Kristall sleeve types, and the dress styles shown
The design
The front shows a five-piece band in white tie, with violin, conductor, clarinet and trumpet. The back shows couples dancing at a garden or house party. A large wavy “KRISTALL” banner runs across the bottom of both sides. It is printed in a single colour, mauve-grey or brown or blue, on buff paper.
Described in words from other collectors’ and a dealer’s photographs; follow the source links to see them.
The evidence
- ObservedLatest of the German Kristall types. Phonopassion sorts its Kristall sleeve types in date order, while saying that the order is only an attempt. This is its latest German type, “Kristall_4”, after the roundel type.
- DocumentedClearly later than 1929–31. The “Kristall Elektro Record” K-logo sleeves belong to 1929–31.
- InferredThe clothes and dress styles point to the mid-to-late 1930s.
- Not yet researchedWe found no photograph of a dated 1939 Kristall issue in this sleeve.
- DocumentedCompany background. Kristall came under Carl Lindström AG in 1938/39 (Discogs gives 1 August 1939), and kept its own company sleeves.
The roundel-vignette sleeve
A brown sleeve with oval scenes of couples and a gramophone arranged around a large “KRISTALL” (Phonopassion type “Kristall_3_2”).
- ObservedIt is documented with a Kristall-Schallplatten GmbH Berlin-Reinickendorf label, so it dates from 1933/34 onwards.
- InferredIt may be the type just before the banner sleeve, but could still have been in use in 1939. Confidence: low-medium.
Other Kristall sleeves, for telling them apart
- “Kristall Elektro Record” K-logo sleeves: 1929–31.
- Swedish, Swiss and Hungarian Kristall sleeves, which are different designs.
- A “Märsche und Lieder der N.S.D.A.P. auf Kristall” sleeve, rare and of uncertain date (about 1933–35).
Sources
- grammophon-platten.de forum, Hüllen “Kristall” (thread 2109): https://grammophon-platten.de/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?2109=
- Phonopassion original sleeve list (types Kristall_1, Kristall_3_2, Kristall_4): https://phonopassion.de/index.php?key=coveroriginal_de
- Discogs, Kristall-Schallplatten GmbH: https://www.discogs.com/label/344455-Kristall-Schallplatten-GmbH
Uncertainty
No source dates either Kristall design precisely. The range rests on a dealer’s tentative ordering and on the look of the artwork, so treat 1935–1941 as a working estimate.
Researched 2 November 2026.