Descriptive Summary
Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Source
Sponsor
Scope and Contents
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: Al Block Broadcast Collection
Dates: 1943-1958
Collection number: ARS.077
Creator:
Block, Al
Collection size:
2 boxes
: 35 open reel tapes
Repository:
Archive of Recorded Sound
Abstract: Open reel tapes containing off-air recordings from the late 1940s through the mid-50s, particularly of Toscanini conducting
the NBC Symphony Orchestra.
Language of Material: English
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
Al Block Broadcast Collection, ARS-0077. Courtesy of the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries,
Stanford, Calif.
Source
The Al Block Broadcast Collection was donated to the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound by Al Block.
Sponsor
This finding aid was produced with generous financial support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Scope and Contents
The Al Block Broadcast Collection consists of open reel tapes containing off-air recordings from the late 1940s through the
mid-50s, particularly of Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra. There is little information enclosed about the performances,
outside of principle performers and the date of broadcast; however, most of these programs have likely been documented elsewhere.
The numbering for the programs was assigned by Block. Discrepancies between box and reel information imply that some boxes
were mixed up over the years. The Toscanini recordings appear to have been originally made by a recording engineer at Westinghouse
who had a direct line feed from the NBC studio console. His widow was contacted by a Toscanini collector, who then passed
on copies (recorded at 7.5 ips half-track mono) to the donor.
Indexing Terms
Toscanini, Arturo, 1867-1957
NBC Symphony Orchestra.
Live sound recordings
Radio programs