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