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Table of contents What's This?
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Scope and Contents
  • Sponsor
  • Other Finding Aids
  • arrangement

  • Language of Material: Multiple languages
    Contributing Institution: Archive of Recorded Sound
    Title: Non-Commercial Disc Collections
    Identifier/Call Number: ARS.0033
    Identifier/Call Number: 795
    Physical Description: 329 box(es) [10570 discs - 134 7" discs ; 1461 10" discs ; 2892 12" discs ; 6083 16" discs]
    Date: 1918-1976
    Physical Location: Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound Stanford University Libraries Stanford, California 94305-3076
    Abstract: The Archive of Recorded Sound's Non-Commercial Disc Collections consist of over 10,000 disc recordings from a variety of donors, the majority of which are either broadcast transcriptions or instantaneous recordings. None were ever available for sale to the general public, and many are unique.
    Material Specific Details: 10414 discs [approx.] / 356 boxes 7" and smaller: 132 (2 boxes) 10": 1431 (20 boxes) 12": 2494 (50 boxes) 16": 4682 (260 boxes, including 2 oversize) Condition stats: Palmitic acid: 1107 discs Mildew/mold: 50 discs Delamination: 83 discs (21 severe) Laminate cracks: 11 Rim chips: 54 discs (some small, many large. Some pieces missing prior to accession) Cracks: 70 discs 6 boxes of broken 12 & 16" discs in custom enclosures (approx. 18 discs) Physical materials: Pressings: Shellac (majority shellac): 334 Plastic (vinyl, vitrolac, vinylite, etc.): 4264 Cardboard (paper, fiber): 10 Instantaneous base: Plastic: 14 discs (mostly RCA Home Recordings) Cardboard: 220 discs Glass: 338 discs (2 without laminate) Metal base: 5088 discs (aluminum, steel, etc.) Metal, no laminate: 141 discs

    Access

    Open for research; material must be requested at least two business days in advance of intended use. Contact the Archive for assistance.

    Publication Rights

    Property rights reside with repository. Publication and reproduction rights reside with the creators or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Head Librarian of the Archive of Recorded Sound.

    Preferred Citation

    Non-Commercial Disc Collections, ARS-0033. Courtesy of the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

    Scope and Contents

    The Archive of Recorded Sound's Non-Commercial Disc Collections consist of over 10,000 disc recordings from a variety of donors, most of which are either transcriptions or instantaneous recordings. None were ever available for sale to the general public, and many are unique. Despite the variety contained in this collection, the majority are related to radio broadcasting. Recordings were either produced for broadcast or captured from broadcasts as air checks.
    Transcriptions were made in a variety of sizes (often 16 inches to accommodate a longer playing time), and were typically vinyl or other plastic pressings, but many were instantaneous. Some earlier transcriptions were made of shellac. These discs reflect the diversity of the Golden Age of radio, with recordings of music, drama, news, commentary, advertisements, public service announcements, and educational programming.
    Instantaneous discs, on the other hand, could be made by virtually anyone with access to a recording machine. These were recorded one at a time, and while it was possible to make duplicates, most are also one of a kind. These recordings, sometimes referred to as lacquers, acetates, or soft-cuts, were not the first recordable media (blank cylinders were available since the beginning of recording), but for over twenty years they were the dominant form of recording. The collection even contains a few discs recorded in the mid-1970s.
    Content was only bounded by what could be placed in front of a microphone. These discs were used in professional recording studios, concert halls, record-your-own-voice booths, living rooms, and in the field. Some are merely dubs of other recordings; this was especially common with collectors prior to the reissue industry. Others capture live performances and are of inestimable value.
    A major component of the collection is armed forces-issued recordings. These were used for a variety of purposes, including recruitment, entertainment, and instruction. Other types of recordings in the collection include soundtracks, sound effects and production discs for motion pictures, promotional giveaways and premiums, and demos and vanity pressings by recording studio clients (not all of whom, it should be noted, were amateurs).
    Only a portion of the collection has been described below. Multiple recordings on a single disc, missing and damaged labels, conflicting or no information, and the inability to aurally preview contents make cataloging these discs a challenge. Also, there are serious preservation concerns with ancient recordings on such fragile media. The Archive maintains a comprehensive off-line database of the collection. Please contact ARS for further information.

    Sponsor

    This finding aid was produced with generous financial support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

    Other Finding Aids

    A spreadsheet inventory of the entire collection is available via the Stanford Digital Repository http://purl.stanford.edu/qb033zz8036.

    arrangement

    Prior to processing, discs were segregated according to size. There are four MARC records and four sets of boxes with the same numerical sequence. Therefore, box numbers have been assigned a size-based prefix. Some series (such as Standard Hour and Standard School Broadcast) are large enough to qualify for their own collection, which may happen in the future.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Radio airchecks
    Advertising
    Broadcast journalism
    Radio programs
    Radio journalism
    Personal recordings
    Instantaneous discs
    Live sound recordings