tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-233810242024-03-17T23:00:11.508-04:00History in the Raw (The bare facts of history that you don't get to read very often)My name is Jack Stanley, I have studied history for many years. This blog is about history in a more raw view, not over done. I often use original materials to bring a historic event or story to life or an interview I may have done with the person mentioned. If you cook a vegetable too long it loses much. The same can be said of many histories. They are the history of the history written before it. Over done history. THIS IS HISTORY IN THE RAW. Comments send to phonograph78@hotmail.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger591125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-32966438523746651562014-05-11T20:15:00.000-04:002014-05-15T09:32:45.088-04:00 THE EDISON DIAMOND DISC’S DIRECTOR OF ARTISTS AND REPERTOIRE... THOMAS ALVA EDISON<div class="MsoNormal">
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I wrote this piece in 2002 on the behest of a fellow who was doing a book on Diamond Disc Records. The book had very limited sales and was read very little. Therefore I thought I would put the piece I wrote for the book here, so others could enjoy much of what is not talked about when it comes to Edison and his role with the Diamond Disc Record.</div>
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In this piece I included much of my research and studying of Edison's private notes on singers, artists, composers, musicians in general. It is a very interesting glimpse into the private world of Thomas Edison and what he thought and felt about music, singers, instrumentalists and more. I had put this out with hundreds of his comments. many listed for the first time. This article was the result of many years of research and going though hundreds of his private books and using notes from them. Also finding evidence of Edison's preference of a speed of about 70 rpm for his records, as strange as that sounds.</div>
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In this you will also see his bias on many of the recordings made by Victor. This is a large chapter to a book and will take many reads to get it all down. I hope you enjoy it.</div>
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JFS 5/11/2014</div>
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Thomas Edison while in many ways providing the greatest help and was also almost single-handedly the greatest detriment to the diamond disc record and the recording activities of the Edison Company. He was a perfectionist when it came to sound production (as he heard it). This is the major decisive factor which drove the diamond disc to stretch the limits of sound production in the early days of the 20<sup>th</sup> century.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison’s hearing has been a matter of debate for years often leaving historians wondering exactly what he heard, and what brought about some of the decisions he consequently made. His hearing was bad, this is very true, but there were times he heard much more than we actually give him credit.<br />
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When Edison got involved in the “ recording biz” as he used to call it, he was in his early sixties. He was always somewhat involved in the recording industry, but not to the extent he was when he lead the charge onto the battlefield called “disc recording”. Edison had always been involved in this part of the business but by the time the disc record was first commercially developed he devotes nearly all of his energy to this cause.(The rest of his research went toward cement, storage batteries, business machines and motion pictures).<o:p></o:p></div>
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This chapter was compiled from the notes of Thomas Edison. Edison’s notes are everywhere. He wrote thousands of letters as well as comments on letters sent to him. He would write notes on newspapers and journals of the day. Comments would be written in his employee’s notebooks. No scrap of paper was safe.<br />
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Marginalia would be inscribed on the pages of novels as well as books on history, religion, music, and science. Even encyclopedias and dictionaries were open season for his pencil. His output was incredible and covered every subject imaginable. No subject was taboo to him. He would make these notations for his own reference and pleasure. These were his thoughts and not for the public to see. Here Edison said exactly what he thought and was often very blunt; in many ways the very opposite of how he was perceived by the public. He seemed to always have a pencil in his hand.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is sad to see newsreels of Edison from the last few years of his life. We don’t get to see him as others did. We see a very old man not in the best of health and deaf as a post. That was Edison in 1930, but not the Edison who spearheaded diamond disc recording twenty years earlier. His work on the diamond disc occurred at the peak of his popularity, he was still healthy and he was far more inclined to speak his mind than he had been in his earlier days.<br />
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The Edison of 1910 was not the Edison of the good old days of Menlo Park either. He had in a sense become a bit of a caricature of himself. In this period of his life he also had the time to write more. We find that a good deal of his documentation dates from the 1910-1930 period, with the bulk of it dating from the mid-1920’s, when he spent a good deal of time at home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had the opportunity to study Edison from several rare perspectives. First, his youngest son Theodore Edison (1898-1992) helped me tremendously with countless hours of interviews (often by phone at odd hours) over an 8-year period. Additionally, I was able to spend years studying his writings not only in his lab notebooks, but, in his own private library. It was in these books at his home called Glenmont, (part of the Edison National historic site), that Thomas Edison really comes alive. He does not mince words and you can also feel a little of his inner struggle to merge his personal tastes and views with those commonly held at the time. He wonders why he feels different from others in his views and likes. What follows is a combination of his comments and thoughts from lab notes and his own personal notes much of which has never before been put into print. I have taken the liberty of filling in the blanks in Edison’s writing. He would, depending on his mood write in many different ways. He would sometimes curse up a storm in his writings, listing the various Damns and Hell’s. Sometimes he would only write D--- or H--- (or other words). To make the reading easier I have filled in the blanks (my additions in parentheses). This makes the 40% of the time he wrote D---, easier to understand.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is only one chapter and just the tip of the iceberg. The Edison Papers project at Rutgers University will eventually list many more of these. But they are now releasing Edison’s much earlier works and writings. When they release his later documents, it will be an entertaining read. So we may call this a teaser of what is yet to come. Enjoy… and remember that we all are human, and yes we all make mistakes. Thomas Edison had his views as we all do. We must not look upon these writings with scorn, but rather with an understanding of what made a man tick and what made this very special man do and say what he did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison’s favorite form of recording was the cylinder as it was a constant speed recording from start to finish. He felt that the disc was inferior to the cylinder. He was very aware that the disc was slowing down as the needle worked its way to the center as the size of the record itself was changing. Therefore he believed that the cylinder was better and that he would avoid all contact with a disc record. The consistently shaped grooves of the cylinder had no such problem. However the public was not as concerned with the fact that cylinders played at a constant speed; they were concerned with ease of operation and storage. There really was no way to solve the storage problem inherent with cylinders but discs were a far simpler matter in that regard. By 1910 the state of affairs in the cylinder world was starting to crumble. Research on disc recording was conducted in secret at the Edison Laboratory without Edison’s knowledge. There was even a weak attempt to gain a controlling share in the Columbia Graphophone Company. Columbia was at the time the only company that was producing discs and cylinders in the United States. It could have been the best of both worlds, but Edison never moved to absorb their concern.<br />
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By 1912 Columbia had even given up on the cylinder and announced that the disc was king. Edison was not in a hurry to change from the cylinder format but was unusually agreeable once he discovered that work on a disc record was progressing in secret and, much to the alarm of some, he encouraged and spearheaded the project.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This work started a remarkable product that would change everything about the art of acoustics and tonal range. The Diamond Disc record and phonograph were in many respects Thomas Edison’s re-invention of the phonograph and recording. It differed in many ways from any other system yet developed and was also so technologically superior that its quality today is still something to marvel at. The main thing Edison wanted with his recording system was an over engineered product that would outperform any other talking machine of the time. In this he was successful, and through his guidance the record and machine became the miracle of the age.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sadly, after working with his team he decided to become the phonograph’s guardian. He felt that he had the sense and the musicianship to understand the public’s entertainment wants and needs in the recorded field. It was he and no other save for certain circumstances that dealt the final blow to a song that did not meet his criteria. He was also very fond of certain songs and styles of music. He would go out of his way to see that a song that caught his fancy soon made its way to the recording studio. He felt that there were many melodies that had not been discovered. This led to many bizarre experiments in backwards recording, but as far as we know, no new tunes of merit were discovered.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison listened critically to the cylinder recordings released by his company in the years prior to the disc and found that many of them did not meet with his approval. This was a moot point however as the recordings had long since been released. He felt that they were quite often harsh and not at all mellow. The cylinders were made to have a bright sound which was something Edison did not care for and refused to allow on his new disc. He also had very little praise for the recordings made by the Victor Talking Machine Company of Camden, New Jersey. He would spend days listening to Victor records and write notes about them. He used in this process a special cardboard square that he cut out to put over his good ear and he marked it the “Victor Ear Tickle”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He felt that the Victor Company went out of its way to create a false quality to the sound of the records. He was right as the Victor Company worked hard to get room resonance in the recording to create a “ringing” quality. It was a sound that drove Edison crazy and he often told his recording engineers that the last thing he wanted was a record that sounded like a Victor! When they produced records that were “Victor-like” to Edison he made sure they knew it. He would reject the recording and send notes that would be peppered with quotes like this:<o:p></o:p></div>
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“REJECTED: Sharp, brassy, coarse. Like old wax cylinder stuff. This don’t go on the disc and don’t want any more of this combination instruments. The Victor can have the monopoly”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Victor is sharp, ours should be mellow. The public continually speaks of this, it’s our selling point and I want it”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Explosive and where explosive very sharp-has a Victor ear drum tickle”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Sharp, rotten, squeaks, rejected for disc and cylinder. Victor type of recording!”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many of his days were taken by listening to singers on a Victor disc machine. He would listen to hundreds of Victor, Columbia and Fonotipia recordings. He often would comment on how many of these recordings should be soaked in lime to get rid of them!<o:p></o:p></div>
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He also found that Victor machines were exacting a heavy toll on the records themselves. He conducted tests to see how long it took to reach a breakdown in the records made by Columbia and Victor. He found that after 30 plays there was significant wear to the grooves of the records. He also believed that they were scratchy sounding.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While looking for new tunes for his records he also critiqued the victor records he was listening to. Here are a few of his comments:<o:p></o:p></div>
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La Boheme 96002 Quartet Act 3<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Only fair”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Farrar should not be permitted to sing on a phono, she will jump out (of) any record”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Victor 95209 Alda, Jacoby, Caruso, Journet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Ridiculous noise”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Victor 95210 same artists<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Caruso is getting big tremolo, Tune N.G., All N.G.”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Victor 74294 Fritz Kreisler<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Absurd, they don’t appear to be able to record and reproduce violin. No overtones of violin are reproduced. All fundamentals”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Victor 17058 Harry MacDonough and Amer. Quartet<o:p></o:p></div>
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“His chattering tremolo is getting worse and also his clothes pin on nose is getting tighter”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Victor 74296 McCormack<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Voice or tune not good”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Victor 17075A Al Jolson<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Coney Island beer saloon singer. Not for us”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The process used in the recording studios at the time helped create the sound Edison wanted, or at least the sound the recording department thought that Edison wanted. There were great clashes between Edison and his weary recording department. There were many recordings made that were thought of as wonderful by not only the recording department, but the recording artists themselves, that were rejected by Edison for some reason or another.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison would pick the tune and then he would listen to the final result as the test returned from New York. Many times the song that he liked on the test was not much like the recording that came from the N.Y. Studio Here is an example.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If thou didst love me not Mary Carson 2659C<o:p></o:p></div>
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1/19/14<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Hold This. As this is a ROTTEN tune as I hear it and I once passed tune as a GOOD tune. I(t) must be BUTCHERED. Don’t use this type of instruments for accompanying. Try this song but at least 2 other singers. I want to experiment and find out why with piano and our girl here I pronounce a tune good and when I get it back from N.Y. on disc with a professional and a band to accompany that it sounds rotten. I wouldn’t for an instant pass if it sounded this way when I originally heard it. Apparently no leader or this is not a song for Carson”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Things that caused Edison to reject a record could be one or more of the following.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Room resonance<o:p></o:p></div>
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Instrument valve noise (such as flutes, clarinets etc.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Piano pedal noise<o:p></o:p></div>
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Vibrato<o:p></o:p></div>
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No chorus<o:p></o:p></div>
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Too much accompaniment<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not on the list of tunes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bad tune<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bad singer/s<o:p></o:p></div>
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In bad taste (By the sea, by the beautiful sea, e.g.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not to his liking<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison made it his business to listen to nearly every test recording. He made a decision regarding each and every artist. He was truly the jury, judge, and at times executioner. What he could hear was most remarkable. He would complain of hearing the thump of the pedal on the piano, or the clicks of the valves of a flute. He once said in his notes that he couldn’t hear a whistler… but could hear the lips!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison was at times the proud father of the phonograph and he seemed to be very careful of what he put onto his “baby”. He felt that certain songs were of a bad nature and suggestive and he refused to put them on his records. He felt that other songs were simply not worthy of being recorded. There were times his notes indicate that he would not record a number even if he could “sell a million of them”. There were many great songs that Edison rejected only to have his rivals issue them with great success. He would also not allow tunes that were not in the ”tune book”, save for a few rare exceptions. He would form a preconception of what a singer should sound like in a part or role, and often expected any singer that he hired to follow that style.<o:p></o:p></div>
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His rule was virtually complete save for a few notes like “Hold, wife likes it”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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He listened to some songs and operatic pieces, which he called tunes as well and made decisions on them like this note on the Lucia Sextet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucia Sextet June 15, 1912 <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Tune good – splendid<o:p></o:p></div>
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Voices interfere. We can beat this and must in time make this our star. We do not need so many voices”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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(I gather Edison was convinced after writing this that the Sextet should continue to have the required 6 singers.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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He felt that all people heard music the same way. He wrote this note in a music book that contained the phrase Music and Melody, “ We have Slavs, Chinese, Japanese, and Greeks here at the lab. They all in a test pick out the same fine melody. Every American is made the same way, and all like the same kind of music and dislike critic’s music”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We can plainly see through Edison’s naive commentary that he in no way comprehended the market that he should have been catering to. He understood many parts of it, but there were a great many holes in his understanding. This would have a devastating effect on the “Biz”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There were many recordings that he favored and would write things like.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This will be a star<o:p></o:p></div>
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Congratulate him on his performance<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is real music<o:p></o:p></div>
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Great<o:p></o:p></div>
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Accepted (this was something that barely passed)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Passed but oh..(Not at all to his liking)<o:p></o:p></div>
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OK<o:p></o:p></div>
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Passed-Hurry (this meant he liked the song very much)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Excellent!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Passed-Rush (this meant that the record needed to be on the shelves of dealers now)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison also would send little notes to recording artists through the recording labs in New York telling them that they should come and see him. This was so they could receive training and advice on how to sing/play/speak and make good records. Here is a comment on the pianist/composer Rudolf Friml’s test record.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Won’t sell, every note is 50% fret noise and 50% music. If Friml has time he might come over and I’ll give him some pointers”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The recording studios were well designed to produce what we would call today a dead studio. This was the opposite of all the other companies and was part of Edison idea of sound reproduction. He was far ahead of the pack in his concepts as an engineer and designer. He left little to chance and investigated each and every aspect of sound. The recording horns were numbered as to their size and material. This was the same with all the other recording companies as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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His work on acoustics was methodical as he worked on one style horn after another, testing hundreds. The work was incredible as he pushed his staff along on his quest towards recording perfection. They designed horns of various sizes from those the size of a thin pole to the largest, which was 125 feet in length and over six feet at its bell! This monster of a horn was made of brass and was constructed in the West Orange Laboratories machine shop. The large horn was installed in the Columbia Street Recording Studio in West Orange and it was here that Edison’s ideas about the long horn were tried out. He found that the long horn had a deeper mellower sound and this pleased him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, the beginnings of the 125-foot horn were anything but mellow. There were echoes to deal with and it was found that the horn was terribly directional. It was also interesting that the piano recorded so well with the horn (in fact the only things that were ever recorded and released by the company using the monster horn were piano solos and small groups).<br />
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These recordings were often done with Lauder pianos from Newark, New Jersey. The pianos had to be changed often as Edison said they had lost their sound from being pounded by jazz musicians. He often got upset with his private pianist Ernest Stevens for playing jazz on one of the sacred pianos from the studio. At least Stevens didn’t pound on the keys, saving him from further wrath. There was never a release of any orchestral recordings made with the 125’ horn. There were experiments putting things in the horn such as storage batteries and Ice. Edison did this to see if there was a difference in the sound quality. There were no improvements in the recordings. It was also the sad duty of the recording department’s Will Hayes to clean out the horn after the recording experimentation was done.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The 125’ horn and remodeled studio were put together between 1923 and 1924. There are notes in the studio logbooks of the alterations of the studio on Feb. 17, 1923. The studio floor was set up in squares as well. The squares put in on Feb. 19, 1923 We find in a note from Feb. 26, 1923 Studio floor being blocked off and numbered in one foot squares #1 to #868. We find that on November 12, 1923 carpenters started lining part of the shed covering bell of large horn. We also see that on January 16, 1924 carpenters working on coverings of cow hair for the studio. The experiments on the long horn started in 1923 and continued till 1925.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This was preceded by work on 30, 32, 35, and 40-foot horns used at the studio. In fact, there was research going on with horns of many various lengths. However the only other long horn recordings released were with the 40-foot horn in the 1922-23 period. Theodore Edison commented that his father was going through many books on sound and acoustics as he came to the theory of the long horn. He mentioned that it was in many ways like the work that Bell Labs was doing with the folded horn or matched impedance. This would be for Edison a last hurrah in the field of recording. He would detach himself further from recording as the decade reached its mid point. By 1926 Edison moved to another front… Goldenrod rubber research. By the late 1920’s the music room was filled with goldenrod plants, evidence that Edison’s work on recording was finished by that time. The phonograph division struggled on for a short time and finally goes under in October of 1929.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was much experimental work done at the Columbia Street Studio. There were experiments on transcribing records, cylinder dubbing from disc, cylinder to disc dubbing and later long play and sample records. It was a major area of acoustic research for the Edison Company till the late 1920’s. It was there that the “Greetings from the bunch at Orange” was recorded on November 25, 1925. It states in the recording log that it was done with a short horn.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In 1912 Edison wrote up his 11 commandments as to recording policy. Some of the rules were very good some were truly strange and baffling. Edison was trying to have a strong measure of quality control over the tunes and the artists.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was the “tune book”, in which all approved tunes were listed. i.e. tunes that Edison liked. If there had been a recording test done without an approved tune, Edison would explode and write a note like this one:<o:p></o:p></div>
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William Beck baritone 6/5/16<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Holy Christ! Have you no memory, are you a bunch of degenerates in New York. How many times have I asked to have tests made with tunes we have, such as Evening Star for a baritone. I’m getting damn sick of this.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the many rules and regulations that Edison set up perhaps the idea that no record would list the name of the artist causes one to wonder what was really going on in his head. This rule was due to his mistaken belief that people did not buy a record because of the singer, but because of the tune. This led to a tremendous amount of confusion, not only among the buyers but also the workers at the Edison Company. They had to make special marks on the matrices to know who was on what. There were many of these early records with all kinds of marks at 12:00 sector on the label. This marking system made it easier to tell one matrix from the next. As time went on, this policy had to be changed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The last rule was the most important having much to do with the artists and the tunes -Edison became Director of Artists and Repertoire. Some of the greatest minds never know when they are standing on shifting sand and in this case Edison was totally oblivious to the fact. The most successful company in the nineteen teens and twenties was the Victor Talking Machine Company. One of the reasons for this was that they had a Director of Artists and Repertoire who understood what the public wanted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This was where Edison went off the beaten trail. He didn’t know what was good and what wasn’t with the public. He had no understanding of some types of music and rejected them totally out of ignorance. Certain songs and styles of music that annoyed Edison were often dealt a heavy hand.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here is the complete list of rules devised by Edison on May 11, 1912.<o:p></o:p></div>
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POLICY THOMAS A.EDISON<o:p></o:p></div>
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1<sup>st</sup>..We care nothing for the reputation of the artist, singer, or instrumentalist. Except in a few rare instances where the person has established an unique and isolated position.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2<sup>nd</sup>. All that we desire is that the voice shall be as perfect as possible, free of conspicuous tremolo, clear without ragged sustained notes, free of subsidiary and false waves on these notes. Singers who can sustain their pitch so as to be used in concerted work, who have sufficient overtones to produce mellow and not sharp mechanical tones. Singers whose volume changes are violent and ill judged, so it makes it difficult to record are not wanted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3<sup>rd</sup>. When good voices are bound to exclusive contract. 1 or 2 years with the option to extend, pay a regular salary for a determined and known portion of their daily time. Taking in view their other engagements.<o:p></o:p></div>
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4<sup>th</sup>. To discover these good voices that we can build up a body of good singers. Bassos, Baritones, Tenors, and corresponding female voices so we can have a soloist for any tune or concert any time or part of an opera. Also special voices for comic work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5<sup>th</sup>. To have recording man who will travel the countries, make trials of voices at singing schools, local opera houses etc…and submit the voice to Edison for a while until the system is established, and to keep up this hunt constantly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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6<sup>th</sup>. All tunes which are to be used on the phonograph except the local topical songs which are fleeting are to be entered in the Tune book. Each tune to be rated as to its desirability from others used.<o:p></o:p></div>
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7<sup>th</sup>. Where artists are engaged to execute a definite number of pieces, they are to submit their repertory and we must judge as to the tunes we want. If we cannot find enough in their repertory, then we submit our list of tunes to see if any of these can be executed by the artist, if not we do not want him or her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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8<sup>th</sup>. Any new tune that is published which is melodious and which seems to have merit enough and is of such a character that gives a promise of sustained popularity over a long period should be sent to Granger to be judged to see if it worthy to be put in the tune book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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9<sup>th</sup>. No engagements of any kind is to be entered into with artists whose voice has not been sent to Orange and judged.<o:p></o:p></div>
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10<sup>th</sup>. It is not our intention to feature artists or sell the record by using the artists name. We shall use no artists names except in a few instances. We intend to rely entirely on the tune and the high quality of the voices and not on the names of the artists.<o:p></o:p></div>
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11<sup>th</sup>. With a regular corps of singers we will be enabled to rehearse, change the voices and style of accompaniments and make several duplicates of the tune and thus adopt the most perfect one. A couple of the best types of the tune as executed can be sent to Orange and masters made from these. The most satisfactory one can be selected. We will not object to making these extra masters providing we can get higher quality of execution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There has often been the belief that Edison kept Jazz out of his record listing, but this is not true. Even though Edison said that Jazz was for “degenerates and nuts”, the genre received fair representation. In fact he wrote of jazz saying that, “jazz is good when the tune and playing is OK”. I have listed a few of his comments on jazz recordings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jimmy fox trot 8357 <o:p></o:p></div>
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Club De Vingt Orch. Flash to be released April 1, 1922<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison. “passed a-1 flash. “Good base and snap tune not very good”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Every night I cry myself to sleep over you 9235A<o:p></o:p></div>
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Flash #2<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Don’t think much of this poor tune. Rhythm poor and sax player pretty poor. I mean the one playing the melody also weak”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Where’s my sweetie hiding fox trot. 9805A<o:p></o:p></div>
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The merry sparklers<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Good Loud-Flappers will by this”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Toodles 9867<o:p></o:p></div>
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Charleston 7<o:p></o:p></div>
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“No tune, Miserable cornet gives performance”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Bluing the blues 7099c<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lopez and Hamilton’s King of Harmony<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Poorest jazz I have yet heard only good to people who are utterly without a sense of music. Jazz is good when tune and playing is OK”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Canary Cottage One Step. Frisco “Jas” Band 5/24/17<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jas bands are very popular at present-though not the country. They play for dancing with a lot of “Pep. Edison writes “This is OK”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Johnson “Jas” blues Frisco “Jas” Band 5/24/17<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Only fair. The high instrument supposedly a violin is very wheezy and spoils all. If violin played lower key it would be OK”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Those longing for you blues, Atlantic Dance Orch. 8527<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Crazy thing, has lots of novelties, can’t see how one can dance to this, it’s confused. Should say singer was poor. I didn’t understand a word he said. Should say best thing is to put this on order”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison had many comments on band music. Here are a few comments on some of the band recordings he liked and those he didn’t.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Globe Fox Trot<o:p></o:p></div>
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Orch 9/10/15<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Passed, some snap to these dance tunes now keep it up. This is what I have been after for a long time, the swings are sharp and clear cut”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Isle d’amore Hesitation waltz<o:p></o:p></div>
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Orch. 3/1914<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Passed, to be compelled to put this damn stuff on gives me a pain in the ass”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Medley of War songs Band 3073C<o:p></o:p></div>
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7/8/14<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Sounds as if about 5 instruments, why didn’t you have something besides brass. It sounds damn cheap and common. Rejected, rotten, sharp. Want lots of instruments and softer as well as louder. The patriotic band records are very poor you are sending”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Maritana Overture part 2 Band 3071C<o:p></o:p></div>
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7/10/14<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Passed, good type of band”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Opera and classical music suffered more at the hands of Edison than perhaps any other form of music. The voice and various instruments were something that Edison thought he understood. He instructed the singers to sing in a half voice and not sing as they would in a theater or opera house since this would show the defects (vibrato) in their voices. He had a good point here. Read this note he wrote about a singer and how she should be recorded by the staff.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Miss Herma Dalossy Dramatic Soprano 11/28/1913 (Tosi-Milan)<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Poorly recorded She was put to far away from the funnel to prevent blasting. This gives echoes-room sounds and makes very hard to judge voice. What should have been done is to request that she sing ½ volume or rehearsal voice, then she could have come close to the funnel and not blast and it would stop echoes and room sound. If you give them a hint to sing it softly just as if she was singing at home to her little daughter. I find that when they are close to funnel and sing, it blasts and I let them hear it and explain they should tone down the stage volume of their strong high notes to ½. Then they do it all right and we get a good record, which you should have done”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He would be for many singers a critic who could never be satisfied. He considered himself well versed enough to give pointers on how to play the piano and how to sing. He tried to design on paper a violin that would have magnets on the neck so there would be no movement of the fingers, which would, of course, remove vibration. (This never materialized). He had many comments to make on singers, composers and instrumentalists. Here are a few quotes that Edison wrote down in his lab books and his own private library.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On operatic voices he wrote<o:p></o:p></div>
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“95% of all voices have the tremolo. The great singers as a rule have none. Now 1920 there is not in the operatic or concert world more than 10 great singers who have no tremolo”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He wrote further on this subject saying,<o:p></o:p></div>
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“98% of all singers trial on phono have tremolo, and the strange thing is that they are unaware of it and are always astonished when they hear it in the record of their voice. Hence it is not under brain control. The rate varies from 3 to 12 a second. Some only have it on one note, some only on low others on high and some on every note. The effect is at times very disagreeable. Singers who have become very popular in most cases have but little tremolo”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He studied many singers and did a major study on Elizabeth Spencer. She was one of Edison’s favorite sopranos, and he had doctors study her head to see why she sounded so nice to him. He also commented on the overtones of her voice. She was used in many experiments in the Columbia Street studios, and also for experiments with the long horn. When Edison was asked as an old man who was the best singer he ever recorded he responded, “Elizabeth Spencer when she was young”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison also would completely lose his cool when a pianist would play as an equal partner to a solo violinist or vocalist. This was most evident when he was judging the merit of a performer to see if they met with his criteria. This meant that he was checking to see if they were playing/singing with a strong tremolo. The playing of a piano would make the judgment a hard one for him, as he would struggle to sort out the vibrations of each instrument. This comment was sent to the recording department, which was often the victim of Edison’s wrath!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Miss Amy Neil violinist Jan 7, 1921<o:p></o:p></div>
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“As far as I can untangle the violinist from the damn piano she is a very good violinist. Why does the pianist start play loud when violinist goes on E string. I don’t want to hear the DAMN PIANO. It is only to assist the violinist. I do not want to hear it at all. Just where I wanted to study the double notes and E string it starts pounding. Some people have no sense or judgment. 278<sup>th</sup> REQUEST, to keep piano just loud enough to assist artist. I don’t need to hear it at all”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He often had lots to say on other violinists. Here are a few of his comments:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fred Mac Murray Violin 6-3-18<o:p></o:p></div>
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“First class. He don’t vibrate his fingers and spoil the music. It looks to me as if you had got a fine violinist here. Would also like to have heard something also with high notes”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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David Mannes Violin 11-25-16<o:p></o:p></div>
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“This is the worst “Ave Maria” I ever yet heard, his violin strings are rotten. He vibrates fingers incessantly. He is weak in volume. His volume varies badly where it should not vary”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Martha de la Torre violinist 10-1-20<o:p></o:p></div>
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“First class Violinist. Can you make contract”? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Evelyn Starr Violin 3-13-16<o:p></o:p></div>
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“She does not pull a steady bow, she exaggerates the infernal tremolo making it too conspicuous. How can any person judge of the capacity of a violinist by making a trial with a tune like this. I am going to make a damn strong kick if the lobster who is responsible don’t use what little brains he has in the future in these trials”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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He had considerable commentary about singers. Here are a few comments on tenors, (of which he had quite a bit to say).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Quartet from Rigoletto 5629 Verlet, Alcock, Ciccolini, Middleton<o:p></o:p></div>
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7/19/17<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Pretty fair but unmusical at places where all sing due to the sharpness of Ciccolini’s voice. Had his voice been mellow at this point it would have been good. Passed”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Amore O grillo Madame Butterfly Ciccolini and Chalmers<o:p></o:p></div>
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8/10/17<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Passed but this is not music. Ciccolini is getting so sharp that he drops every overtone and only emits fundamentals. Because he is straining his voice for an opera house and not for a quiet little room in a home. I have about made up my mind that EVERY Italian tenor is an all around general damn fool”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tosca E luccian le stele,Fontana<o:p></o:p></div>
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12/30/15<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Pretty good. The S.O.B. has got Caruso skinned”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Oh so pure Martha 1283-3<o:p></o:p></div>
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Orville Harrold<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The tune saves him. One note tenor-accepted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The next time they get any of our money before I hear the goods. It will be a cold day in Hell”! <o:p></o:p></div>
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In one of his books at home, a dictionary of musical terms he wrote out a list of what may have been ideas for the name of his Disc phonograph. The notes are of the period 1910-1915 since there are other comments on people with dates from that period. Here is the list. Sonatola, Harmonola, Imperola, Impressio, Legotalo, (ola perhaps) Leiderphone, Cantophone, Lyrograph, Lyrophone, Maestrola, Mignon, Musiola, Pandola, Orchestrion, Sonorola, Symphinola, Troubadour, Tandola, Trovatore, and Virtuoso.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also when going through dictionaries of music he would always look to see if the phonograph was listed. He would often write in these books “Where’s the phonograph?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here are some of Edison comments from his private writings at home:<o:p></o:p></div>
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GERMAN ART LOVERS<o:p></o:p></div>
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“They have loved art in the German way by letting their composers starve to death”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ORGAN MUSIC<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The organ music, the graveyard behind the church. The sexton’s sign, who has the address of the undertaker the solemn preacher and all makes one love organ music? Most people have so hard a time in this world that a little Rossini, Bellini or Verdi is appreciated, but it isn’t very classic”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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HANS VON BULOW<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Von B. came to the lab when in America and I recorded his piano playing. My asst. a good pianist called Von B’s attention to the fact he struck a wrong note. Impossible sued Von B! But upon hearing it reproduced he fainted away and I poured a jar of cold water on him and sent him to East Orange. HE’S A CRANK”!<o:p></o:p></div>
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GEORGE F. HANDEL<o:p></o:p></div>
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“How German like. Funny any real music came from such a man”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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FRANZ LISZT<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Musical mathematical genius”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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MOZART<o:p></o:p></div>
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“There is something wrong with Mozart’s melody, something unnatural. I cannot make it out yet”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“It has been calculated that 2/3’s of all the tunes Mozart writes for the violin lie on the E – string. That is why Mozart is so unmelodious”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The mechanics of the ear have been called hideous stuff. It would be contrary to the structure of man and physical law, hence when this Mozart has made it to reform. To change bad music to damn bad music”!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The greatness of Don Giovanni. “To me it is the opposite of this. I wonder what is wrong with my ear”?<o:p></o:p></div>
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SCHUBERT<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Schubert’s eyes were so bright as to at once to attract attention. This is an absolute indication of ability, the great reflective power of the eye”<o:p></o:p></div>
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.” Schubert did not get a good musical education. He struck luck in not getting this damn education”!<o:p></o:p></div>
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BEETHOVEN<o:p></o:p></div>
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“He escaped being a Prussian. He never used TNT music”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“The music of his operas, 3 good, one not so good. As I have heard on the piano, this is real stuff”!<o:p></o:p></div>
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BACH<o:p></o:p></div>
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“His head was level”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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BRAHMS<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Looks like a Prussian”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Musical Machanic”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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THE MUSIC OF BRAHMS IS OFTEN BETTER THAN IT SOUNDS<o:p></o:p></div>
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“This is the limit, noise would probably be the best music of all. Then educated critics could straighten out the discordance and defy the crowd”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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JOHN McCORMACK<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Fine voice marred by a terrible tremolo. I turned him down for I couldn’t stand it”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ROSSINI<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Wrote real music and its good today”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“ Practical man had common sense”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“ Made natural man’s music”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“A genius, wrote real music. Only a few inspired, but even the composed music is generally musical”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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TCHAIKOVSKIY<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Can music come from such a crank”!<o:p></o:p></div>
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WAGNER <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Wagner’s musical dramas, no form, acquired taste. Not natural like chewing tobacco. But he could pull some beautiful things out of the air”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“ Wagner could have been a great man, his instrumental music is beautiful. He could beat them all probably in this line, but he was a crank and wouldn’t do it”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Wagner should have left the music out and launched his operas as plain speaking dramas”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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GLUCK<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Gluck’s music is in contrast to the laws of acoustics and psychology. Gluck and Mozart are birds of a feather. They have to learn this is not music”!<o:p></o:p></div>
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CHOPIN<o:p></o:p></div>
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“There is no music in Chopin so bad as Mona Lisa is to painting”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The worst thing Chopin ever composed was better than anything in Don Giovanni”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The funeral March is grand, the Funeral march of Beethoven’s is also good when played on violin with viola to take the very low notes”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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R. STRAUSS<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Won’t be appreciated in this century. But in the next century God will have remade and improved man’s hearing apparatus, then Strauss will be appreciated”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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PADEREWSKI<o:p></o:p></div>
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“1914 still a pounder! Paderewski’s playing goes beyond the mechanical limits and throws on the strings and all other parts of the mechanism the most horrible discords”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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VERDI<o:p></o:p></div>
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“An original inventor of abnormally new combinations of melody”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Verdi is the greatest of all composers. He has more original invention, more themes that are original than any other composer. In his later years he was driven to discord by Teutonic musical degenerates. Howling for discord which is now called art. The music that will live forever….etc..etc..”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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LUIGI ARDITI<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Get all of his published music, he is a star”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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VIBRATO: <o:p></o:p></div>
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“A glass of cold water will stop it generally in Sopranos for 3 or 4 minutes”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“ Tremolo of the voice is unpleasant, and to me it is”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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DISCORD<o:p></o:p></div>
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“N.G. except to a German brain where discord is resolved into melody”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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BEAUTIFUL FOLK SONGS<o:p></o:p></div>
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” Would like to find some, horrible music as far as I have heard”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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TANGOS<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Get some they are good”!<o:p></o:p></div>
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MUSIC CRITICS<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The reputation of music depends upon critics, who couldn’t compose a discord in most cases”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What is absolute music? “It is music nobody likes but music critics”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here is a list of comments that Edison made about singers. You will notice that Edison has quite a sense of humor at times. He was also very much influenced by the events of the time and his humor shows it. What follows is Edison at his best as he has a little fun with some of the new songs and talent. He has fun with one in late April 1912. This is a week or two after the sinking of the Titanic. He hears what he calls a “Bull baritone” and writes that “He should be put on the front of ocean liners to scare icebergs away”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In 1915 Edison listens to a voice trial of Gertrude Cugut. He is in a playful mood as he writes to Mr. Judas, one of his musical directors who must have had the misfortune to have suggested this singer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison writes, “This is nearly the limit, congratulate Judas on his fine appreciation of interpretation and elegant wobbling voice. ROTTEN”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He then listens to the voice of another candidate named Mrs. Rosetta Stephenson, soprano. Edison writes,<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I withdraw Cugat and decide Mrs. Stephenson shall have the prize. If anything would make the Germans quit their trenches it would be this, My God This Is Awful-Has intelligence fled from our planet. Is this a Judas star”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison listens to a young man named Master Richard Heeley, counter tenor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison writes, “Sounds like a broken down Italian soprano. No timber, Oakland is 1000% better”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He listens to Masonic trial record of one of their hymns and writes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Passed but Rotten I will never join an organization that has such rotten stupid stuff as this”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sam Ash- tenor 1/29/1915<o:p></o:p></div>
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“No interpretation-no brains to submit a sample as a tune like this, recording dept. to send a tune like this. Has a tremolo, should he make sustained note, the only sustained note he gave shows tremolo- has sharp tinge, cabaret tinge a la Murray in his voice. Couldn’t sing a sentimental song that would be effective to save his life. Let Columbia have him”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Florence Crosby-contralto 10/20/12<o:p></o:p></div>
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“It’s too bad this woman has tremolo and a cat sound-She has such a deep fine contralto voice. I wonder if she could not get rid of it. Another defect she has, is a sudden change of volume. Who ever taught her should be placed over a wheelbarrow and whipped with a board. Can’t use her”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Emma Van Holstein Soprano 10-7-24<o:p></o:p></div>
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“This type of soprano is useless to use-she sings in places so weak that (I) hardly hear, then she let’s out a yell like a wild Indian. Such interpretation is not dramatic its idiotic”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At 10 o clock at night Farrington 7/01/15<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Rejected too silly”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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William R. Searproff tenor 4-30-19<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Oh, no. Sounds like a Jewish cantor discharged for in competency”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mr. Tom Burke, Irish tenor “The John McCormack of Europe”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“If he is the McCormack of Europe, Europe is in far worse condition than the papers make out. Not Wanted”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5010 Mr. Leonard Brown Yiddish tenor<o:p></o:p></div>
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“No tune. Is there no melody in Jewish music. If they enjoy this they would enjoy small pox”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison was happy to give great praise to someone if he felt they deserved it. Here are a few:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Light cavalry overture<o:p></o:p></div>
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Xylophone solo G.Green<o:p></o:p></div>
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11/25/16<o:p></o:p></div>
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Green is “some Xylophonist<o:p></o:p></div>
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OKEH Laughing record<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Walter, get two they are good. Our (laughing) record couldn’t be given away its altogether rotten. The Okeh has many kinds of laughing and few words. It’s a great novelty”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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9799B Victor Rosales<o:p></o:p></div>
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“This man has the finest voice that I have ever heard. When we have good tunes that fit his voice by all means use him freely. Am delighted with this voice “. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison listened to his music differently than almost anyone else, at another speed than he proscribed. Edison usually listened to Diamond Disc records at the speed of about 70-72 RPM’s. He wrote about this and said,<o:p></o:p></div>
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“ PITCH While the corti rods in the ear are not fully grown in young people they like high pitch. When 25 years they like present French pitch. There after the rods get loaded and the older you get the lower the pitch. Old people run 80RPM phonographs to 70-72 RPM’s”.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Edison’s personal phonograph in his home in Glenmont was set to play at about 70 RPM’s. He listened to the recordings at a speed that was comfortable to him. I would like to take a story and correct it here. Yes there does exist a phonograph with teeth marks in it, but this machine was from the last days of Edison’s involvement. He was near 80 and very deaf. But to think of Edison in the early days of the Diamond Disc biting into a phonograph to test the records is absurd. I can imagine that there were times that he may have done it to experiment with his hearing. He could still hear well enough to listen to the recordings with his naked ear or with a horn. He often commented that certain recordings were so loud that they “near split open my ear”. Edison heard far more than we give him credit for. He also misled us into thinking that he heard nearly nothing. Edison heard what he wanted to hear. He seemed to hear very well when you were talking about him and amazingly deaf when he wanted to be.<br />
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Of course as he aged his hearing got worse. There were also a few operations performed on his ear that harmed his hearing more than it helped it. His hearing was correctable as proved by his son Theodore. He took his father to Bell Labs and had a curve made of T.A.E.’s hearing. Then he constructed a hearing aid to compensate for the hearing loss. This monstrosity as he called it worked very well. But it was a large box with vacuum tubes, a stethoscope-like headset and a microphone to speak into. He said his father put his head into the headset and someone spoke into the microphone he heard the high-pitched sounds that he had never heard before. In fact, Theodore said his father “heard pretty good through it”. But the thing weighed a lot and was “tremendous” in size. So we can see where Edison’s hearing loss centered. He had very few highs in his hearing and he would often lose the hissing sibilant. He could hear lower tones rather well and I believe this is what led him to push for a very mellow sound with low tones. It was a pleasing and comfortable sound for him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edison had his taste and feelings toward music like anyone. To his credit there was quite a bit of decent recording going on. His mania for perfect sound reproduction forced his company and staff to reach for a quality that many only dreamed of. The diamond disc was the result of research and development and the strange but determined work of a man who could hardly hear as others did. The notes that we have peppered through this short piece just open a door a little so you can see the real Edison. He was in so many ways bigger than life and in other ways so very human. Whether you like Edison or not, you have to respect the amazing result of his and his team’s work. The Diamond Disc Phonograph and Record.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-82717634935340080762014-03-31T06:52:00.001-04:002014-03-31T06:52:50.877-04:00George Washington medal from New York's 100th anniversary of his inauguration in 1889 .<br />
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There was a massive celebration in New York City to honor the 100th anniversary of Washington's inauguration there on April 30, 1789. This medal was cast as many others were at that time. What is interesting about this medal is it honors Washington on one side and shows the Brooklyn Bridge on the other as the eighth wonder of the world. A unique piece of history from 125 years ago.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gOP-qESxJcHOJQlT-mP7eDYGOIFdo37AuTcJQ9EiqpmgA8g9tCEsCVhFqfVt9bWNLrmPirUrpWkZz5ZO8AmVKtf5WpwlmzTlbCmvdAp2LH6jhIILuu8HXsQX4XFXaXUpVuw3/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gOP-qESxJcHOJQlT-mP7eDYGOIFdo37AuTcJQ9EiqpmgA8g9tCEsCVhFqfVt9bWNLrmPirUrpWkZz5ZO8AmVKtf5WpwlmzTlbCmvdAp2LH6jhIILuu8HXsQX4XFXaXUpVuw3/s1600/IMG_0007.jpg" height="320" width="315" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8Z4vBpcVRigKyC5BVmSAj8rOlsO3tAPj65yxiSUfqo4IojxDx1_azMvOf5HVJLq6WZquZpVjyivqslXm83Kweg_A_LjGKsq9O1hIpHMPDE3iOoBZob0rI4bEFeeUMThj1fJL/s1600/IMG_0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8Z4vBpcVRigKyC5BVmSAj8rOlsO3tAPj65yxiSUfqo4IojxDx1_azMvOf5HVJLq6WZquZpVjyivqslXm83Kweg_A_LjGKsq9O1hIpHMPDE3iOoBZob0rI4bEFeeUMThj1fJL/s1600/IMG_0008.jpg" height="320" width="279" /></a></div>
Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-4882102130951833662014-03-31T06:26:00.001-04:002014-03-31T06:38:32.006-04:00John Brown..Written by James Redpath in 1859 and published in 1860. One of the first major writings on Brown.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This book was written from the direct conversation with John Brown in 1857 and in his last days. The book was endorsed by Brown's widow and son. The author James Redpath, was a fiery abolitionist and was involved with working to get support for John Brown in Boston. This was at the recommendation of John Brown himself. At the time this was a hotbed of the anti-slavery crowd. Most of the monies made from this book, which is very sympathetic to Brown went to his wife and family. I have added the first few pages of this rare book and let you read yourself some of the raw feelings that were afoot in 1860. This book of course was written before the Civil War. At the time of John Brown's raid in 1859, his actions set off a chain of events that shook the slave owning community to it's core. </div>
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It is interesting that the fledgling Republican party and of course Lincoln stayed as far away from this as possible. Brown was passionate and misguided. But his actions and thoughts were in line and would be one of the factors that would lead to war. The military panel that judged him was lead by Robert E. Lee. Of course Redpath mentions nothing about Lee here as at the time he was not a major figure. What is interesting here is that Redpath mentions George Washington's actions a lot. Of course in the thought of his actions against the British during the revolution. Robert E. Lee, who would be in charge of the execution of Brown was Washington's step great grandson through marriage. </div>
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Redpath would be the author and ghostwriter for many books. Oddly, he would be the ghost writer for Jefferson Davis's autobiography and history of the Confederacy. </div>
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<br />Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-77682269257120962082014-03-30T23:51:00.002-04:002014-03-30T23:56:44.730-04:00Civil War Tokens 1863-1864<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here are a few examples of Civil War tokens. Mostly made between 1863-64. All of them by private groups. The Civil War Token was based on the size of the one cent piece, which was hard to find at the time. This is why they were made.. They would be valued at one or two cents. Although it was truly not legal tender, as it was not made by the government. These coins would be made illegal in 1864. But for a year or so they were used as currency. The coins were made in the size of the new styled one cent coin. The flying Eagle cent (1856-1858) and the Indian Head 1859-1909) which are pictured right below this. After this you will see a few tokens that deal with the war. On the coins are things we recognize, such as the USS. Monitor and Abraham Lincoln. Others have the flag, oaths, threats, and even a nice picture of the bust of Liberty in 1863. They are interesting to look at and see what was money in 1863-64...During the height of the Civil War..<br />
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<br />Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-78978121436616603652014-03-30T22:37:00.003-04:002014-03-30T22:41:36.535-04:00Our first one cent coins were even larger than today's quarters. Not too easy to carry them around. But one cent was a lot of money then, and you would not have too many with you anyway. Look at these...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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The first one cent coins made in the USA were huge. They contained near a cent's worth of copper. Also based on the Penny which comes from England. The nations early coins tried to look like other currencies. I thought I would put a few examples of one cents coins. The production of the large coin ended in 1857. These coins would be replaced by the smaller sized Flying Eagle, which were the size of the modern one cent piece. Here I have five different styles of one cent pieces. All of them were made in the Philadelphia mint.</div>
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Shown here are a 1798, 1803, 1818, 1841, 1856. All are different and unique. Today when our one cent piece is made of zinc and coated with copper. It brings back the memory of a time when not only were the one cent pieces almost totally copper, but three times the size of a modern penny.</div>
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<br />Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-14720778569515419532014-01-04T01:13:00.001-05:002014-01-04T01:26:09.493-05:00A most unusual Spanish Mill Dollar, otherwise known as 8 Reals or Pieces of Eight.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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This most unusual coin from 1797 was made by the government of Spain in Mexico. Mexico was under the control of Spain and also the Spanish were using the Silver found in the areas around Mexico and other parts of Central America.</div>
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This type of coin was made for hundreds of years and would become the world's currency. In fact, many of these coins were made in Central America and then loaded onto Spanish Galleons. These ships would bring the silver to Spain where it would be used for many things. Specially to fund many of the activities of Spain at the time.. Many of the ships did not make it and sank with their most valuable cargoes. This happened many times and ships are still being found with this most precious cargo. For every ship that was lost, many more made it and brought over to Spain millions of these coins over the years.</div>
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These coins became as I said the standard currency of the world. The United States used these type coins to fund the American Revolution. They would also be legal tender in the United States till 1856. The silver dollar was based on this coin. In fact many of the coins in the United States were based on the Spanish coins of the period.. The 8 Reals was the basis for the silver dollar. it is the same size. The 4 Reals was the model for the half dollar and was the same size. Lastly, the two Reals was the model for the quarter and was the same size.</div>
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What's more about these coins and specially this one. Is that these coins traveled the world. On many ships going all over. This very coin you can see was in use for a while in China. It has what are called "chop marks" on it. These marks are Chinese characters that would be stamped on the coin to show it was a true silver coin. Every merchant in China would mark them. That is why this coin is so marked. This coin was from Mexico, was brought to Spain, was put into circulation and found itself in China. Where else it has been is only a mystery. But this is the best way to demonstrate how this coin was the currency of the world. </div>
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A very well traveled 8 Reals coin from the Kingdom of Spain and currency of the world till the 19th century. So often we read about such coins in history, but rarely get to see them. This is truly history in the raw, the real thing.</div>
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Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-34215173395909992462013-11-25T16:43:00.000-05:002013-12-06T16:48:54.819-05:00November 25, 1963<br />
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The world has changed a lot in the half century since I was sitting with my mother watching the funeral of JFK. I have said pretty much everything I remember of those days. But one more thing to mention. The world changed on those cold, frightening days of November of 1963.<br />
I had lost my hero, everything in the world seemed a little less secure. For the boy who I was, it would never be quite the same.<br />
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I was interested in the press conferences. My grandfather would watch them and make comments to me. I watched several of the press conferences with him. It was such a rare thing to hear people laughing at a press conference.<br />
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The death of the President was one that shook much of the world to its foundation. I cannot to this day think of another President who had such a connection to the people. It was the last time that a President would talk about the ancient Romans and Greeks. It was the last President who used history as a backdrop.<br />
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I am not sure if many of our later Presidents know much of anything about ancient Rome or Greece. JFK wanted to be a history teacher, or college professor. He loved and lived history. I am convinced to this day that he influenced me as a boy to follow history.<br />
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I was able to teach for a few years and it was a warm full circle to have one of JFK's great nephews in my class. He and I talked of his great uncle. Neither of us had ever met him, but we and mainly he was engulfed in his legacy.<br />
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I got to meet many who were around him, Senator Edward Kennedy, Caroline, his daughter, President Gerald R. Ford and several others. Ford told me that he and Kennedy shared an office in their early days in the congress. Sometimes they would take late night walks together. Little did either know that they would both be President and that both of them would be very much involved in terrible points in the countries history.<br />
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I sat for those dark days in November at home. I watched the first all day news programs that started at the time of this all. I can still hear in my mind the sounds of the muffled drums as it radiated from the speaker of the black and white TV we watched on. I was already starting my interest in history. I even had a book on JFK made while alive. But I started to study more after that. I am glad we had a historian and not an academic as President. Academics never make for good leaders, and end up leaving disasters in their wake.<br />
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But as I write this 50 years to the day I heard those muffled drums, and came to realize that my hero was no more. I closed up my little office in my room in which I used to pretend I was President Kennedy and write bills and sign papers. Bought all the newspapers I could. Then I followed a path to studying history.<br />
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I was at Arlington Cemetery in mid 2010. I stopped several places as I walked that rather rainy day. There were few people there and I was surrounded by those who had influenced history. I finally worked my way to JFK's and Jackie's graves. I stood before his grave and said audibly, "Thank you". Little did you know how much you influenced the mind and career of a young boy.<br />
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Fifty years ago, the world and my life changed forever.<br />
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<br />Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-87795489241543423472013-10-30T21:30:00.000-04:002013-11-05T13:36:39.412-05:00The John F. Kennedy assassination. The body, the brain and the casket.. My own theories on much of the confusion. <br />
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Now just when we have thought we had heard it all, there are new theories on the assassination. There was even a theory out not long ago saying Jackie did it with a pistol. Well, of course I think much of this is all poppycock. To be honest 99.9% is all nonsense. But there is truth to be found here and there.<br />
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I have a theory on the assassination and why there is a so much confusion over everything. While I do have some issues over the shooting, I have large number of issues with what happened after in the autopsy. While the shooting may not have been done by just one person. This was the first part of the insistent push for the removal of the body. Secondly, Kennedy's body was a political landmine. If any of his many medical problems were let out it would have tremendous consequences on the political system and how he was elected in the first place with all of his medical issues. The autopsy for several reasons needed to be in a controlled environment.<br />
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The Autopsy ..This is where much happens.<br />
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It is now common knowledge that Kennedy had "Addison's Disease". It is common knowledge today that he was on so many medications, some good and many very bad. Lastly it is common knowledge that he had a vast array of sexually contracted diseases. Due to his incessant sexual forays with call girls, prostitutes, and anyone else who he felt was needed for his pleasure.<br />
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He also had other problems that no one in power, or his family wanted anyone else to know.. So much of the confusion and the odd occurrences at the autopsy was to allow them to remove and change much of the medical evidence, and perhaps the wounds. This is where all the issues and problems arise.<br />
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Kennedy lived in a very frail eggshell of enclosure. Had much or for that matter any of this information been made public at the time it would have destroyed not only the faith in the election process, but also the legacy of who Kennedy was. His image was one of great vigor and health. While the true story was one of a man of uncertain health, and an array of potentially deathly problems.<br />
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So while the the medical team in Dallas was finishing the work on the body there was a frantic push by the Kennedy team to get the body back to Washington DC and not have a Pathologist in Dallas do the autopsy.<br />
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Had they done it in Dallas a number of odd facts and medical abnormalities would have been found.<br />
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This is where all the problems begin. Because now that JFK was dead, it became the sole objective of his family and staff to hide all of the evidence of his illnesses.<br />
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I have felt that many people are concerned with the shooting and think of that as the conspiracy. But I am thinking that much of the conspiracy stands with the US Government, Kennedy team, and family and friends to get the body out of the hands of anyone who could not be controlled. <br />
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In a way this action also controlled the Warren Commission. There were large holes of information carefully kept from them, much through a really badly run and monitored autopsy. Even the head medical pathologist at JFK's autopsy said he burned all of his notes. Lastly no information about the autopsy was given to them in the way of photos or medical information. They relied on drawings and written testimonies. Hence the drawings were flawed and this started a hornets nest of activity about it being faked. There were too many problems to hide.<br />
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The main reason that they did not see the info on the autopsy was that Robert Kennedy did not let them see it. I can once again see him protecting his brothers legacy, but this was going much too far. Also Robert was aware that the assassination was larger than stated and was far more involved than what they needed the Warren Commission to speculate on. The Warren Commission was designed to just put a lid on this boiling cauldron. <br />
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The adrenal glands were removed from the body. Also while doing the study of the body the various and apparent signs of venereal disease were stripped from the record. No information on what was in the blood as that would list a frightening array of mind altering compounds.<br />
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This is what causes the many things that have haunted this event ever since. He was protecting the image of the President, but these actions backfired!<br />
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That is why the autopsy was done in a strange way, that is why the adrenal glands were removed, that is why the sexual infections of the President were recorded and observed and the notes destroyed. Much like the FDR's doctor did on his death. His personal physician burned all of FDR's medical notes, as it would show what was really wrong and how sick he was. <br />
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Much the same could be said of Kennedy, and you can just imagine the horror that was felt by those in control in Washington that the body may end up somewhere and for that fact, not in a controlled environment. So once the body comes to Washington the autopsy sanitizes everything. <br />
His brain was removed as were many slides of tissue samples. They were kept in a locker at the National Archives. Two people were known to have keys for it. Evelyn Lincoln (JFK's personal secretary) and Robert Kennedy.<br />
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By 1966 the locker was emptied of all things dealing with the autopsy. Also the casket that JFK was returned to Washington in was also kept at the National Archives. It was removed by the actions of Robert Kennedy, and in a special action by the US government was holed and sunk in the North Atlantic in 1966. <br />
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What was in it, who knows? No one ever will..<br />
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But that would be a perfect place and action to get rid of evidence. I have heard that RFK buried the brain when his brothers casket was moved in 1967, then why not move the brain out of the locker in 1967, why 1966?<br />
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In my mind and imagination the rest of JFK's body was buried in 10 thousand feet of water in the North Atlantic. That makes a hell of a lot of sense to me.<br />
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Everyone was looking at the shooting, not what going on in keeping the many problems the president had, a secret. So was it a conspiracy? A conspiracy to hide information, fake facts, and change the history and story around so much that no one knew what was true or not. <br />
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I would think that Robert Kennedy was much involved in protecting his brothers legacy, and destroying and hiding evidence of anything that would harm his late brothers image. That was his job when his brother was alive to hide, destroy, and clean up the picture so his brother looked good.<br />
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So much was tampered with, much was deliberately destroyed and of course this worked hand in hand with the assassination theorists, who were more focused on the shooting than what was being destroyed and covered up at the autopsy. It was done badly, so it left a lot of questions which worked well in the hands of conspiratorial theorists. Because if there is one question that cannot be answered clearly, you have the routes of conspiracy. <br />
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I can understand to a degree what can happen if information is passed onto the public dealing with a popular President and a past that was not as what was thought. Warren G. Harding was very much like JFK in that regard.<br />
What finished Harding off was that he had no protectors. He did not have a brother who was Attorney General. His history and his past was cast to the wolfs and his legacy was destroyed. Not that he was a bad president, but one who was not protected after death. <br />
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So now as we come closer to the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination. I expect to hear lots about the assassination.<br />
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But, little about what was frantically done in a Bethesda Medical Centers operating room to protect and preserve a legacy.Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-45155857265600080362013-10-10T19:49:00.000-04:002013-10-10T20:45:56.197-04:00The Victor Talking Machine Companies 1902 Plaid label. Put out in late 1902 and never repeated as it was very hard to read.There is very scant information on this record label. I can say it is very rare and was issued not for a long time. It's existence is not known by many in the record collecting world. The recording was made on July 16, 1902. It was titled Scotland's Pride and was performed by the Kilties Band of Canada. The band was under the direction of William F. Robinson. This band made a series of recordings in 1902 and their labels in their first issue looked like this.<br />
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As to where the recording was made I would guess it was made in Philadelphia. But that is a guess as I cannot find anything as to where this record was made. However, I have found information that the Kilties Band of Canada was doing concerts at Willow Grove Park in Pennsylvania on July 12, 1902. Since this recording was made on July 16, 1902. It makes sense that it was Philadelphia. The record was first issued in 1902 with the fancy, hard to read plaid label. It was afterwards put out with a black label that was readable. This early and quite rare recording is one of the more unique labels put out by the Victor Company. I moved it around as best as I could to make a scan of it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29JOdFZHH-aF79bVOXIson_jOqcHE_qQMTsE3tICtrYbdkmywhQAj8TJ5Nfgq9i2DyO3X_UL4RPmhHepCrL1paFxMjEJ-4IWmy3UoYVbTU-kxnY1DvqUYzH1mFqFly4e1TFb2/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29JOdFZHH-aF79bVOXIson_jOqcHE_qQMTsE3tICtrYbdkmywhQAj8TJ5Nfgq9i2DyO3X_UL4RPmhHepCrL1paFxMjEJ-4IWmy3UoYVbTU-kxnY1DvqUYzH1mFqFly4e1TFb2/s320/IMG.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>
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Here you will see an example of a Victor record and also a Berliner Gramophone record in Canada. Both wearing the same type of plaid label. In the case of the Canadian record, it is far easier to read as everything is printed in black. For the Victor company, they used the same gold lettering and picture as they did on the black and red labels. However in that case they are readable. This record for Victor is very unreadable and would soon disappear.<br />
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<br />Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-58436490449203839052013-10-02T00:35:00.000-04:002013-10-02T08:54:16.306-04:00A whale oil lamp from the 19th century. It is an old piece but did serve well during hurricane Sandy<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ejZmLkyYsgmC9RvYY4TR_XHjRhEBbIkkNhMiODPOqFAeRR9slg7BmtIajU4oGoXyzqDl9n1arNQh9Mmi_FS_YlHFEPUlmmMrdmsaI3DTOCBY6uLKqECDtfBAEOF0AtY8O34f/s1600/2012-09-14_22-19-18_447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ejZmLkyYsgmC9RvYY4TR_XHjRhEBbIkkNhMiODPOqFAeRR9slg7BmtIajU4oGoXyzqDl9n1arNQh9Mmi_FS_YlHFEPUlmmMrdmsaI3DTOCBY6uLKqECDtfBAEOF0AtY8O34f/s320/2012-09-14_22-19-18_447.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Here is a nice example of a 19th century whale oil lamp. It has 3 burners and shades that I guess would have glass or some kind of material on those shades. I have had it a while and of course it is very old. I had lit it when I first got it to see if it would still work and it did. But when I was forced into a near week of no electricity, lighting became an issue, it was pressed into service and was very useful in providing light, heat, and comfort during those very dark days in October.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VxMZ8ScRxUq9E4MhjksJouvkNXW-htt4eOi4iqcruVDBkmjrKHh3ptWB387zUSbUhsWzQlQX8cWhOuRee8c0TK_p6gYXvM-NCscSS1z8P4ct-rfW1bJsm19G6b_7E4p-JhTr/s1600/2012-09-20_04-37-54_30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VxMZ8ScRxUq9E4MhjksJouvkNXW-htt4eOi4iqcruVDBkmjrKHh3ptWB387zUSbUhsWzQlQX8cWhOuRee8c0TK_p6gYXvM-NCscSS1z8P4ct-rfW1bJsm19G6b_7E4p-JhTr/s320/2012-09-20_04-37-54_30.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Here is that lamp doing what is was designed to do all those years ago.Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-5830566219028580512013-09-29T15:49:00.001-04:002013-10-01T10:11:41.014-04:00Remembering the election of 1968..One of the worst years in the history of the United States<br />
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Oh how I remember that election. It was fraught with confusion, anger, and the press not sure who was the winner. That election was confused. What had happened that year was horrific from the Democratic Convention in Chicago with the mass beatings of protesters and the break up of that party to the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. There were riots all over. The war in Viet Nam was terrible. The death toll was always on the news. I grew up with the image of Viet Nam on the news. From the early 1960's onward it was a focal point of our lives and the stories of many soldiers coming back in body bags.<br />
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I watched the news that night till I fell asleep. It was said by many on the news that night that Humphrey would win. That Nixon would be defeated again for the office. This was the first election I really was focused on. We had a black and white TV with a 12 inch screen. Of course we used rabbit ears on the top of the TV to get the best reception. But our reception was always very snowy. People today do not understand what it was like on old TV's.. That you not only changed the channel by hand, but, after changing the channel you had to adjust the antenna to catch the signal. After that you needed to fine tune it. Often the best reception was when you were holding the rabbit ears. I saw this technology come into use during and after 9-11 when most of the stations were knocked off and Peter Jennings was transmitting on UHF.<br />
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I had figured when I went to bed that Humphrey had won. I kind of liked Humphrey and was looking forward to his presidency. I was not too impressed with Johnson, but I found him rather boring to watch. I did watch him make the statement that he would not be a candidate for office in 1968.<br />
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I went to bed and woke up to the news that Nixon would be the next President. I felt sorry for Humphrey. He was always a little short of a win for office...A prize he truly wanted, but would never have.<br />
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It is a little hard to conceive what it was like back then..It was a very different time and a very disrupted and divided country. That was truly on the brink of exploding. Within a few years it would all change.<br />
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1968 was one of the worst years in our countries history.Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-30614178837425084542013-09-24T14:23:00.002-04:002013-09-24T14:23:54.571-04:00I have always been a blast from the past. Just looking at my desk says it all<br />
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I have always been comfortable with an older style of desk. I am not really into plastics or Formica. I enjoy real wood and well made and designed furniture. My desk is an old secretary desk. In it I keep my papers, write papers, read books, and put various objects that are important to me. It is a clever desk and has secret compartments which are fun for small delicate items. But all in all it is an enjoyable desk for me. When I first saw it I was in love with it. So I thought I would share where I spend much time in the evenings. In this desk I keep all of my 17th, 18th, and 19th century books. Sometimes I will read a little of one of them. Just one of my more enjoyable things to do. I know so well it is not for everyone.<br />
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But it is a well designed, sturdy, and most useful piece for me.<br />
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Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-64537644393223211842013-09-12T16:52:00.000-04:002013-09-18T21:14:55.993-04:00Victor Talking Machine's first celebrity records. The short lived 5000 Red Seal series of 1903<br />
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It is always interesting to see where a series comes from. In the field of recorded sound the first red seal records were called so. The short lived Gramophone Red Seal records recorded in Russia in the end of 1900 were the first. The term Red Seal was used just shortly. Later that term was no longer used by the Gramophone or Gramophone and Typewriter. However, the Victor Talking Machine Company newly formed and incorporated on Oct 3, 1901, was looking for something new to showcase the operatic field.<br />
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In today's world it is hard to explain the rank that operatic singers were placed at during this period. I would guess that the movie stars of today are the closest in that adoration. They were looked at as the highest form of entertainer and treated like royalty.<br />
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By 1902 the Victor company was looking to expand their base. There was basically a large proportion of popular, coon, band, and comedy recordings produced by the company at their meager recording studios in Philadelphia. Although they were very successful in this field, Eldridge Reeves Johnson wanted to make the Victor Record more than just as it was looked at, and that was merely as a toy.<br />
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The Gramophone and Typewriter company which is what the Gramophone Company was know as till 1907 was recording operatic singers from it's start. The company was recording from the late 1890's operatic pieces of various qualities. By 1902 they had recorded Caruso, Calve, Plancon, theVatican Choir with the last Castrates along with many others. A deal was worked out in late 1902 by Calvin Child so that Victor would press and market recordings made in Europe by G&T.<br />
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This event would change the very face of the Victor Talking Machine Company. These European recordings would be released in March of 1903. These records would have a red label and be put into the first series of it's kind, the 5000 series. These records would sell at $2.50 each. One has to remember how much money that was in 1903. This amount would buy you a wonderful meal at Delmonico's in New York City.<br />
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This first release would be of 25 recordings and over the year more would be added during the spring and summer. By October there were a large number of recordings to choose from.<br />
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The 5000 series would be available till October of 1903. The end result was there was not a massive amount of these records ever made or sold. The price and the early date led to very small sales. But one had to remember it was not at all about sales. It was about prestige. I am aware that a very small amount of pressings each of the listings were made. Therefore after 110 years they are remarkably rare. When they were pressed they were rare.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzFbbjVYw06mlBgC110ISFnn12JuYAUFf5ocmwf0WDoHECUso1ioatHlNvEAZiylRxOTSP_PkNH8WdrJw9llxn3mCGDYEoKLajurZ9P1o8HV6zkt7FHNs3eyyvnh9IRZh84ws/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzFbbjVYw06mlBgC110ISFnn12JuYAUFf5ocmwf0WDoHECUso1ioatHlNvEAZiylRxOTSP_PkNH8WdrJw9llxn3mCGDYEoKLajurZ9P1o8HV6zkt7FHNs3eyyvnh9IRZh84ws/s320/IMG.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
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A 1903 pressing on 5067 of the Vatican Choir recorded in April 1902 and pressed in the United States.<br />
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In October of 1903 there was change on the labels. All of the recordings that were on the 10 inch 5000 series were split. A large amount of the imported recordings were split into two different numerical listings. Many of the Red Seal records were switched to what is called 91000 series as shown below. In fact this is the same recording shown above in this new series. There is something odd about this record. It has a "D" on the bottom of the wax under the label. The "D" stands for the Dennison Recording machines, which were used by Victor and in some cases G&T from 1903 till around 1907. But this record was made in April of 1902 and most probably not using a Dennison machine. But basically most records made by Victor in this period were stamped with the "D". This was for royalty reasons that the records were marked. However I am of the thought that many recordings were stamped not needing to. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJWmAezrhYBSMFRzmn5i3TGOog5Mct2bOhAX4GSYvUx3exL2zPqofpDD9iSF9JXUgw9Z4jzXVQVSsKtEWE2UbBJ95aLY9WzK558eiBYm3VhOsgssoiMvDvd3zLtiVAf3LxgLP/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJWmAezrhYBSMFRzmn5i3TGOog5Mct2bOhAX4GSYvUx3exL2zPqofpDD9iSF9JXUgw9Z4jzXVQVSsKtEWE2UbBJ95aLY9WzK558eiBYm3VhOsgssoiMvDvd3zLtiVAf3LxgLP/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>
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Many of these imported recordings were put on to another numerical listing for records of this type. It was called the 61000 series. The 12 inch recordings would be given the 71000 series. In fact you will see below another recording made at the Vatican in 1902 that made it to the black labeled series. These records would be priced at $1.00. The recording below is from late 1905 or early 1906. Most of these recordings on the black labels would be gone by 1907.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjQOKTSFeIJSxmzx07rBmBEncWnyjWLbWY56oaHtZa_dxDBFAc5wNnB-b-VD8Hg_xiEN5ROQyaHfzbmRWID5syBjvv3-IXEdmDm2cvzHoi0jMbFY2WqAYkG_oSA0QWD8tSwY3/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjQOKTSFeIJSxmzx07rBmBEncWnyjWLbWY56oaHtZa_dxDBFAc5wNnB-b-VD8Hg_xiEN5ROQyaHfzbmRWID5syBjvv3-IXEdmDm2cvzHoi0jMbFY2WqAYkG_oSA0QWD8tSwY3/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
A late 1906 pressing of a 1904 G&T recording. You will see that there is no "D" on this recording.<br />
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As you can see here in a 1906 listing of Imported Red Seal Records, the list is getting shorter. This was due to the fact as soon as the artist could make a new recording for Victor, the old ones listed here would be removed. The 91000 series was not a big seller either, but, was far more successful than the 5000 series.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaDfJUigm4iH7oel7ZFRv6uD5OAZ8jm_5i2sm7J2_sFYv_3ahhzQOAzFroNIX3Qv_tAQ2WV96ki6WWwGFoKqN0wrQSxsCVldI-VcRUpj_Us-VSKcqdh1TdbOXiYuP7E_Yz92k/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaDfJUigm4iH7oel7ZFRv6uD5OAZ8jm_5i2sm7J2_sFYv_3ahhzQOAzFroNIX3Qv_tAQ2WV96ki6WWwGFoKqN0wrQSxsCVldI-VcRUpj_Us-VSKcqdh1TdbOXiYuP7E_Yz92k/s320/IMG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are many of the recordings made at the Vatican in 1902-04 listed under the 61000 and 71000 series. In the catalog of early 1906.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlBX48O9Y1MHrd9zTq6RG_tD9o3142JqQ0RX6T9yZ01glRhXwdvC9A84-h4A2ZC08tIZA6tloaVTfZ9qM2OwJI6BZTAGz_y810eYinx8ZMpKBY5Y_37s3GnMqVNORD5tRvDLK/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlBX48O9Y1MHrd9zTq6RG_tD9o3142JqQ0RX6T9yZ01glRhXwdvC9A84-h4A2ZC08tIZA6tloaVTfZ9qM2OwJI6BZTAGz_y810eYinx8ZMpKBY5Y_37s3GnMqVNORD5tRvDLK/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Also many of the recordings made in 1902-3 in Russia were put on to the 61000 series. There had been a few originally released as Red Seal recordings.<br />
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The 91000 series would end in within a few years as the Victor Talking Machine Company would start it's first Red Seal recording series in late 1903 as you will see below. This record is from the first Red Seal session recorded in the United States in 1903. However the first Red Seal records were listed with Black Label numbers.<br />
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The end result was a massive amount of confusion concerning Imported Red Seal, Imported Black Seal, domestic Red Seal, and domestic Black label. Lastly at this time Victor started a new matrix system. However the first domestic Red Seal Records received a domestic Black label number which shows the confusion that abounded. This Red Seal problem would exist for the first two sessions at Carnegie Hall. That famous music hall is where the recording studio was located in room 826.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48O1PR63JGqozdKaqAihSq98h8D4QIgVyrvHnb-K_C0eCfYhXPxhR_KgLjcHGMf_nsxVciAzh3PBuZ7o1k3yip_7VlNhMt2IhSvdNrw4LPDnaGROpbfFUfZL_Eb44KWmwevkQ/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48O1PR63JGqozdKaqAihSq98h8D4QIgVyrvHnb-K_C0eCfYhXPxhR_KgLjcHGMf_nsxVciAzh3PBuZ7o1k3yip_7VlNhMt2IhSvdNrw4LPDnaGROpbfFUfZL_Eb44KWmwevkQ/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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One of the rare examples of the first domestic Red Seal records with a Black Label number.Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-61165382979203038002013-09-09T22:44:00.000-04:002013-09-11T18:38:47.734-04:00Remembering my last trip to the World Trade Center on September 9, 2001<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I remember the towers so well. I lived with them for nearly 30 years. I had been in them more times than I could ever tell. I worked in them in the late 1980's. But every now and then when guests or friends would like to see them of course I would take them up. I was there at the opening of them when they tossed King Kong off the top. That was in 1974 or so. Everyone cheered when he fell of the tower. A quarter century later everything changed. I took my friend from New Zealand to the top on September 9th of 2001. It was perhaps the hundredth time I had been to the top.</div>
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I always remember the representations of people as you came to the next to top floor. They were like cardboard cutouts. Also there was a display of rolling balls in a display windows. It was always interesting to watch the heavy balls roll all around on a track in that display. The next to the top floor was glassed in and you could press close to the glass and look so far down. There was I recall as always the souvenir section and items that could be purchased. Of course I did not buy any, I could always come back if I ever needed anything. But to be honest I would have no reason to buy any of that. Why would I? I have no momentous of the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. The towers were going to be there long after I left this mortal coil, at least that is what I thought then. Who could have ever guessed? After walking around and looking down at the Brooklyn Bridge and seeing the various displays and items that were all around at the top. Then we went up the escalator to the roof area. This was outside and open to the elements. It was fine that day, just a little humid. It was up here you could see in great detail the antenna on the other slightly taller tower. It was Sunday so it was a little crowded. But it was ok to see a great distance. From this area you see the very curvature of the earth. The area up there was a bit of a lovers lane. There was one couple I remember that were much more involved in kissing and each other than to see the sights. I bet they, if they are still together remember that day very well. </div>
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I remember that day, perhaps because I would see the buildings on fire live and come crashing down. I always had a good view of the towers. I remember I took two friends I knew to the top in 2000. Then I did this trip in September of 2001. They took a number of pictures and I took two. Both of the ones I took did not come out too good, I was using a Kodak disposable camera that you took pictures and then brought it to the drug store to get it developed. So of my two pictures I took, one came out the other had my finger over some of the lens...Funny the things we forget about cameras of years ago You never knew if you took a good picture till it was developed.</div>
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So we went to the top that day, I will always remember the big banner that was in part of the building saying that "MCDONALD'S IS COMING THE THE WORLD TRADE CENTER" . I saw where it was going to be, but really did not think much about it till after the disaster. If I had taken a picture of that banner it would have been quite historic. Cause I really do not see anyone talking about that. Well it is funny what you remember.</div>
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I had my small ticket stub, of which I threw out after leaving the building. I remember that evening when we were ready to go home. It was late by then and we had gone out and had dinner and had a few drinks. We stopped for a short while outside of the towers and just looked up at them. Border's Books was right there too and that was always a nice place to stop and look at some books or magazines. Several books in my library came from that bookstore. I have always had a habit of writing information of where I got the book when I would purchase it. So many many merely say.."bought at the WTC Borders and what ever the date would be. Now that Borders Books no longer exists either, adds to the history of it all. I always remember there would be lots of artists all around the buildings selling their wares. Also you could sit at a table in the court yard and have a drink. I always enjoyed taking the bridge over to the winter garden too. One last thing to mention was the large mall below the towers. There were stores of every kind and restaurants down there.From the mall area you would take these very long escalators to the area where you could get to the PATH trains and subways. But I saw most of that on that last day I was there.</div>
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We looked up at the buildings. I always looked for that bright blinking red light that was on the very top of the antenna on the one tower. I watched it blink as my friend was thinking of taking some more pictures of it in night and later in the week during the day. So he took a few that night and one which is here. It was not a very special or well done picture, just a quick shot of a building... I just wish I took a picture of that banner.</div>
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Less than 2 days later there would be nothing to photograph but ruin..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMc-yAeL6EYO2luSRYS4PUrvtDcIJi8GEKvkntrvxJe8Te95Up6OZt2sBhp3zGRhxpnubdGQHKzGLOFgBN9woOVlx7EPRD63_F4_EEvm7FMirySLstJdfmyMJTROkB5bmF2ht/s1600/6a00e5502775dc88340120a5bcc0d2970c-800wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMc-yAeL6EYO2luSRYS4PUrvtDcIJi8GEKvkntrvxJe8Te95Up6OZt2sBhp3zGRhxpnubdGQHKzGLOFgBN9woOVlx7EPRD63_F4_EEvm7FMirySLstJdfmyMJTROkB5bmF2ht/s400/6a00e5502775dc88340120a5bcc0d2970c-800wi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A picture of the towers taken on the night of September 9, 2001. The pictures I took were not too good at all. But my friends pictures were far better.Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-50452520680529358982013-09-03T14:23:00.001-04:002013-09-03T14:23:43.747-04:00Airship Mail 1932. A letter sent across the United States from coast to coast on the airship USS. Akron. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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The USS Akron was one of the two monster airships built for the United States Navy. Starting in 1931 with the Akron and followed by the Macon in 1933, which would crash in 1935. The Akron would crash in 1933 off the coast of New Jersey. The loss of life was tremendous. </div>
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Here I have put in a few pictures of the airship. Also that letter that was sent airmail in 1932 via the USS Akron.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcNXAjc6VIk4e3dGwBGPMx5YbBJjCqtigQEXyQRoD4KuvLAwbRUXitMYJKr0YaTRZaLFL21k0_hI9Z4WkpHdWV8PCJ9khZsBM0zhbP3zMS_1CgWkTmDVfId4iFWesGylv9VPM/s1600/akron-072web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcNXAjc6VIk4e3dGwBGPMx5YbBJjCqtigQEXyQRoD4KuvLAwbRUXitMYJKr0YaTRZaLFL21k0_hI9Z4WkpHdWV8PCJ9khZsBM0zhbP3zMS_1CgWkTmDVfId4iFWesGylv9VPM/s320/akron-072web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Akron moored and resting<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJqb-j8Db4trWhyFXPvvrmXxjzJdz6daOnCIsh2NAP6za1KUbFOM-1LxvVvqYyp5rB_eD4NA_6U9ujzhfQ-KTfxfxCkQ8aIeUmSnBXXvcAC3bMy_f3FnEf0Sp1g2G8AJ-3t0X/s1600/AkronatHangar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJqb-j8Db4trWhyFXPvvrmXxjzJdz6daOnCIsh2NAP6za1KUbFOM-1LxvVvqYyp5rB_eD4NA_6U9ujzhfQ-KTfxfxCkQ8aIeUmSnBXXvcAC3bMy_f3FnEf0Sp1g2G8AJ-3t0X/s320/AkronatHangar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Akron at Lakehurst, New Jersey in 1932. Note the airship Los Angeles in the massive hanger. The hanger still exists.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6llY922-ILH038BzXP66stiGJT8JaxvfFmGNoKEoAhXyUV3cTV2BflFt6Xp9CL_HAWcciz88QH41QOFLOgVzyaGGf9N2h_ICWmltZkfITfhn1I8W86YZ6h-xtNqOydNwEvUVp/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6llY922-ILH038BzXP66stiGJT8JaxvfFmGNoKEoAhXyUV3cTV2BflFt6Xp9CL_HAWcciz88QH41QOFLOgVzyaGGf9N2h_ICWmltZkfITfhn1I8W86YZ6h-xtNqOydNwEvUVp/s320/IMG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The letter has lots of great stamping all over. It is a great piece of history from when these giants roamed the skies. This letter sailed for several days on the massive airship.<br />
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Even the back does as well.<br />
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The Akron flying over New York<br />
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The ship mooring in California<br />
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Little bottle opener that is made of the same metal as the frame of the Akron. These were sold years ago during the 1930-1932 period</div>
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Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-30052008222232761542013-08-30T13:03:00.000-04:002013-08-30T13:16:14.141-04:00Columbia Phonograph Company record labels for the year of 1902. A year of big changes in the labels and the company itself..<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Columbia Phonograph Company had a rather shaky beginning when it came to the flat disc record. First off, they did not have any patents to support the making of disc records when they started their venture in mid 1901. The beginning of the Columbia disc started in New Jersey. In Milburn. New Jersey to be exact. The head of the Columbia Company Edward Easton went to the Burt Company in Milburn to see about the ability of this company to manufacture disc records. It would not be a problem for them. They had dealt with discs before for a while with the Berliner Gramophone Company. The Climax recordings would be made by the recording engineer Mr. English. Who incidentally was the recording engineer for the International Zonophone Company. It seems that much of the talent for the early Climax Records comes from the pool of talent that was recording for Zonophone.</div>
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The original deal set up in mid 1901 was that the Burt Company would create a company within called the Globe Record Company. Through this company would be records in which Columbia could sell. These records would be called Climax Records. In fact for the first 3 weeks of production, which was very limited. The first Climax Records had no affiliation on it's label to the Columbia Company. In fact it is not totally understood why they were made this way. Was it possible that the Burt Company was selling the records too? What ever the reasons for this short lived label it was within weeks replaced. The original label was no label at all, the information about the record was embossed on the disc itself. Within 3 weeks of this original style the embossed records had labels placed over the printed material of the record stating it was a Climax Record made by the Globe Record Company solely for the Columbia Phonograph Company. This whole scene gets rather confusing as you dig deeper. But for all of 1901 there was the Climax Record.</div>
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Now for the main point of this article, by late 1901 it was a pretty open secret that Columbia was behind the Climax Records and was producing them illegally. For what they were doing went against the patents of Emile Berliner, creator of the first commercial disc record.. Until October of 1901 there was little Berliner could do about this. Because he had been forced out of the industry by the Columbia Phonograph Company and their magnificent lawyer Phillip Morro. Mr. Morro had used a very liberal interpretation of an early Bell-Tainter patent to force Berliner out through an injunction. Now of course Berliner could seethe, but do little else. </div>
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But on Oct 3, 1901 Eldridge R. Johnson and Emile Berliner joined forces and created the Victor Talking Machine Company. It's initials were VTM and that is very important. On December 10, 1901 Columbia received their first patent on disc recording that mattered. It was the Joseph Jones patent for making wax disc recording. Edward Easton and the Columbia crew breathed a sigh of relief. Now they can take a break and have a well deserved vacation. </div>
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They had not given much thought to the Globe Record Company as of late or to the Burt Company who was not happy about that. Do to this fact Columbia had been very late paying bills. Not once, but several times and the Burt Company was understandably very upset. </div>
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The January 1902 raid on the Globe Record Company</div>
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In the dawn of the new year Eldridge Johnson paid a visit to the Burt Company and bought the Globe Record Company from them. This is very important. Remember that the Globe Record Company was making the Climax Records for Columbia. Now the main competitor of Columbia and the possessor of all the Berliner Patents owned the company that made their records! </div>
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After the purchase of the Globe Company Johnson arranged to have all the Climax stampers from Globe brought to the Victor headquarters in Philadelphia. There each of the Climax Stampers was affixed with a circle next to the label saying VTM in it's center. When Edward Easton and the Columbia crew returned from their vacations they were shocked to discover that their recordings were being made by their competitor and not only that. Each of their records advertised and showed who owned the records, VICTOR!!</div>
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A lot of legal issues followed as Columbia and Victor prepared to do battle. But armed with the Jones patent, Columbia could do a lot of harm to Victor. However, armed with the Berliner patents Victor could do the same to Columbia. So after a few months of a severe staring match...both blinked. Victor sold the Globe Record Company back to Columbia and Columbia allowed Victor to use the Jones patent. Of course this pooling of patents and legal movements had a profound effect on the labels of Columbia records in the year of 1902. In fact there are 5 different styles of label for this momentous year. I have put them all together here to show what I think was the progression. By 1903 everything got more simple and the labels stayed somewhat the same. </div>
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THE LABELS</div>
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This is the Standard early 1902 Climax Record made by the Globe Record Company when it was owned for a short while by the Victor Talking Machine Company. Note the VTM at the 2 o clock position. This label would be produced for a few months in the beginnings of the year as all the legal battles ensued. Note also the brass grommet in the center. Also note that there is no information anywhere on patents.<br />
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There was a transformation of the Climax Label as Columbia was starting to produce their own records. However, most of the recordings owned by Columbia were announced at the beginning as a Climax Record. So while a massive recording program started to make records with Columbia announcements The Climax's were sold with the VTM on it. You will see here as well on this mid 1902 Climax the VTM is also at the same 2 o clock position as the previous. This would be the last Climax label. It would be killed in middle of the year. You will also see no patent information and the brass grommet is used like the previous.<br />
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The first Columbia label produced in the first few months of 1902. There are several telling factors. First off this is a Climax record. There was a massive mix of Columbia and Climax recordings in the early months of 1902. Through much of the year labels would be confused, masters confused, Title's confused as the Climax Record was phased out and the Columbia Record was phased in. So here we have a very early Columbia Label. It is a Climax Record as you can see the VTM at 2 o clock. What you will see here also is no patent information. No information at all on the record. However for a very short time the Climax grommet would be carried over to the new Columbia Label.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__24MiSfQ3_HIXFO6ykBBDjNfzi5DLhRjLQnoAU4lkHvQgUOxmY33BPC-ryG6QIS7KrLxYaam5OqrScC0SZU0ypn8TIYH5RYqts44xgHeuh-a56AYfPwTTFh1NllOTOh_j8mr/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__24MiSfQ3_HIXFO6ykBBDjNfzi5DLhRjLQnoAU4lkHvQgUOxmY33BPC-ryG6QIS7KrLxYaam5OqrScC0SZU0ypn8TIYH5RYqts44xgHeuh-a56AYfPwTTFh1NllOTOh_j8mr/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A slightly later Columbia Record from the middle of 1902. Note that the grommet is now gone. However here we have another example of a Climax Record. Oddly the stamp this time is at the 10 o clock position. This is due to the label just going the other way and the VTM is upside down. I gather by this time the less people that saw that or read it the better. This is the beginnings of a large amount of production of Columbia Discs. The Climax Record was no longer being produced. However this year many of the old Climax stampers were used till they wore out as Columbia needed to re-record nearly every one of their records. The records without announcements made for Climax would be used for years by Columbia. But this is the last of the no information labels<br />
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Finally we come to the last of the 1902 labels and it has the information we were looking for. Patents! By the time this record came out there were very few if any Climax records being pressed anymore. I am sure the Columbia Company heaved a sigh of relief when the this label made it appearance. Finally the Columbia disc had come of age and was legal. </div>
Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-11238591722541626992013-08-27T18:52:00.000-04:002013-08-27T19:20:50.984-04:00Len Spencer..1867-1914 One of the greatest recording artists in history.. His life and death dealt with recorded sound.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Leonard Garfield Spencer Feb 12,1867- Dec 15, 1914..<br />
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Len Spencer as he was known was the son of the inventor of the Spencer method of writing. He grew up in Washington DC. That area in the 1880's into the early 1890's was the center of recording activities. In this small area of Washington DC was the Bell and Tainter Graphophone Company, the Berliner Gramophone Company, and the Columbia Phonograph Company.<br />
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Spencer and soon later his brother Harry would become major players in the phonograph industry. Len Spencer made several thousand recordings in his career that spanned over 20 years. He was on every label on disc recording and every cylinder record company as well. So in short he recorded for everyone! If anyone is familiar with the famous Edison advertising cylinder (I am the Edison phonograph), it was recorded by Spencer. If anyone watches the History Channel and listens to William McKinley speak, it isn't McKinley, it is Len Spencer. If you find early recordings of Jekyll and Hyde it is Len Spencer. In any batch of early recordings you will always find Len Spencer. He truly was everywhere.<br />
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A Zonophone label from 1907 containing the voices of Spencer and recording partner Ada Jones.<br />
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A 1902 recording of Spencer on the newly formed Victor Talking Machine Company.<br />
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A Columbia recording of Spencer and Jones again in 1906.<br />
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Spencer made recordings with everyone and was on many group recordings such as Minstrel recordings for Victor, Columbia, Zonophone, Edison, American Record Company, Leeds, and others...<br />
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In his later years he opened a music business and theatrical agency. Here he hired George Washington Johnson to be the doorman. It was at this agency that he dropped dead at his desk on December 15, 1914. His funeral was held at Campbell's Funeral home where many other great performers funerals would be held. What was most unique about his funeral was this...<br />
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He was the speaker!<br />
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He had recorded pieces earlier to used in the case of his death. So he read the 23rd psalm at his funeral and also recited the Lord's Prayer. After this show and after all was done his widow and children went with the body to a crematorium and after that the ashes were brought to the family plot in Washington DC.<br />
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So ended the career of a remarkable recording artist..who entertained while alive and dead. To this very day Len Spencer is still heard often. After 99 years it is a rewarding fact to any recording artist to be remembered. I can say most truthfully that I will never hear most of Len Spencer's output, cause it just is so much. Few recorded as well, often, with more dialects, and was as well respected by many in his field than Len Spencer.Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-89948658196720445652013-08-27T13:18:00.001-04:002013-08-27T13:28:52.285-04:00Report of the commission on the renovation of the Executive Mansion. Official report published by the Government Printing Office in late 1952. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOUHJOzv3vd6KgOCkiKaP7jWhPetF0PlW52HqbNBtmdn0CxaNkUtLKiMz3RgVm_6-WFtlfjldfId9o90WyMCZBN4hOpg3qnFSJs1XY1RiAoPI4sjit1NzaV_iPxwur4s_GCC-/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOUHJOzv3vd6KgOCkiKaP7jWhPetF0PlW52HqbNBtmdn0CxaNkUtLKiMz3RgVm_6-WFtlfjldfId9o90WyMCZBN4hOpg3qnFSJs1XY1RiAoPI4sjit1NzaV_iPxwur4s_GCC-/s320/IMG.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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Between the years 1948 and 1952 there was a massive restoration of the White House. In many ways of thinking it was more a total destruction of the building (save the walls) than a restoration or renovation.<br />
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The entire building was gutted and rebuilt with a steel inter structure as used in all modern buildings. The White House today is a modern building that has little relationship with it's great history.<br />
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The only thing that really is original structurally save for a few items inside is the outside walls. This report is on the destruction and rebuilding of the White House. So the word renovation, although in the minds of many means to restore. In this case it means rebuild.<br />
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The definition of the word renovation...<br />
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<span style="padding-right: 15px;">Definition of RENOVATE</span></h2>
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<span class="ssens"><strong>:</strong> to restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding)</span></div>
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The term fits. But most people are not aware that the White House is really a new structure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbcSpUALwdjtoo4_bWUD9tfq80wGgLTgLgtwfW_BEFUeW3rzEqrWfCGlh1FxITGzRm_ihfPKtaG4tJlneerUk2q0H_ITioPjLVOtieyxzxawsFB0BNBqJXpk_K19ueaFGA3dP/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbcSpUALwdjtoo4_bWUD9tfq80wGgLTgLgtwfW_BEFUeW3rzEqrWfCGlh1FxITGzRm_ihfPKtaG4tJlneerUk2q0H_ITioPjLVOtieyxzxawsFB0BNBqJXpk_K19ueaFGA3dP/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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Although this project was done a little over 60 years ago, the methods used today are 180 degrees different than what was used then. For today we try to preserve what is original, rather than just tear everything down.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Dq1x4VEwHWMhyGozKLwlEV4ca2tBZrPjEh7VJf1sdyyk24c9D-sIUkTx479hl2pl1_OOM1MKz7qo9hC7IItLSmILzWA1uaXmZPDkuACkrM5k5-cLF8vML5fGHEtStOgcFEO6/s1600/IMG_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Dq1x4VEwHWMhyGozKLwlEV4ca2tBZrPjEh7VJf1sdyyk24c9D-sIUkTx479hl2pl1_OOM1MKz7qo9hC7IItLSmILzWA1uaXmZPDkuACkrM5k5-cLF8vML5fGHEtStOgcFEO6/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
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This report goes through everything<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvaWE-wC1EkpUwD6EVI8ZgpYjCEL2799-DulW5TtXYRT30zA846j_VxTMhcK_K3Gg-Cg_VGdidbqm49fW-fzq6KYC45NOhmBw2GwG_v-1Wj6XtaO5Bs1ZjJXIoRPkXUvOe4Z9/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvaWE-wC1EkpUwD6EVI8ZgpYjCEL2799-DulW5TtXYRT30zA846j_VxTMhcK_K3Gg-Cg_VGdidbqm49fW-fzq6KYC45NOhmBw2GwG_v-1Wj6XtaO5Bs1ZjJXIoRPkXUvOe4Z9/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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In this copy I have there is a mimeograph copy of the letter sent to the Secretary of the Army with regards and requests to have this book for his personal library and to give out some others to various other officials. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2G060gYQ73IgLICIH4ETgc98DgczuhMoz1nyK0tEiSwcb9n5LY15pt-sYN3t39DiP4Inx4kQnUhKqDl_IzNpVgMdRObMhkEwbKm-3iNbwsXyDRUdcOVJHr_yVjTnwSUBoU8d/s1600/IMG_0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2G060gYQ73IgLICIH4ETgc98DgczuhMoz1nyK0tEiSwcb9n5LY15pt-sYN3t39DiP4Inx4kQnUhKqDl_IzNpVgMdRObMhkEwbKm-3iNbwsXyDRUdcOVJHr_yVjTnwSUBoU8d/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
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The cornerstone of the "new"White House. Which was built in the 1948-52 period, not restored.Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-91408988511234275152013-08-26T18:34:00.005-04:002013-08-26T18:34:47.026-04:00Indentured Servant document from 1681 <br />
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Here is a rather rare and unusual document from February of 1681. It is a document of indenture. Basically becoming a slave for a period of years. This document is long and detailed and I could not copy all of it. But, here is a much of it and the signatures on the back of this velum document.<br />
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So just a unique piece from well over 330 years ago.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFEncqrUOLAOSMknmM8t8QnI3Y4WSjnY0bEfjS-TQWTMXWmSNQsMS89E8R1CBdIKWvPYLKsdGbnPj8FD0vJtzLXYlJ-Jum2uLOzhtMepKQWdBhXd82cQAx_dQum-fy8_pWwD4/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFEncqrUOLAOSMknmM8t8QnI3Y4WSjnY0bEfjS-TQWTMXWmSNQsMS89E8R1CBdIKWvPYLKsdGbnPj8FD0vJtzLXYlJ-Jum2uLOzhtMepKQWdBhXd82cQAx_dQum-fy8_pWwD4/s320/IMG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Indenture says it all doesn't it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7En2Qz0w3wFNEjYZmOef6c5DTtTA7HYu1Dw3RTQn2Aa2yw5qQlso4HtFb1PWdkGmh5J4jsXIoY15EV01ZAEbbERtFrKeCtvY7dsirtg-4R5etN7ThK4H6LcW7_r2k1PYYZE8l/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7En2Qz0w3wFNEjYZmOef6c5DTtTA7HYu1Dw3RTQn2Aa2yw5qQlso4HtFb1PWdkGmh5J4jsXIoY15EV01ZAEbbERtFrKeCtvY7dsirtg-4R5etN7ThK4H6LcW7_r2k1PYYZE8l/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On the top of the picture above you will see the writing of the date. Written in a script and in a very long form.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDHLvnGD51P4Bs8QDlhD7JVnnBLqGFWaKECQGGZ3zM7HitaStYo_xsULWRJVRoLSN-9UHYvU9d9EhGipymELCfFLO3UJWTMmPkKePYw3SaB0nxBzfZC11ay18WljgDN2Al-LK/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDHLvnGD51P4Bs8QDlhD7JVnnBLqGFWaKECQGGZ3zM7HitaStYo_xsULWRJVRoLSN-9UHYvU9d9EhGipymELCfFLO3UJWTMmPkKePYw3SaB0nxBzfZC11ay18WljgDN2Al-LK/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wonder what ever happened to the servant who was here signing much of his life away long ago.Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-44901868701385013382013-08-22T14:59:00.002-04:002013-08-22T15:02:15.140-04:00The very rare sleeve for Marconi Velvet Tone Records. 1907-08<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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Now many in the record collecting world are quite familiar with the famous and to a degree infamous Marconi Velvet Tone Record. Which was introduced by Columbia in 1907. It was a very well made record that was not only unbreakable, but also flexible. In an age of easily broken 78 RPM recordings it seemed to be a great answer to the problem.</div>
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However, it was not. It was an advanced recording that was produced with just mediocre pressings of existing Columbia records. One of the recordings I have has an announcement! Announcements were discontinued in 1903! This gives an idea of what was being put on these records. Some good stuff, but also some rather old and out of date recordings as well.</div>
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By 1908 they were gone. They were too ahead of their time and the needles needed to play them caused them the greatest pain. Cause you could not remove them from your phonograph till it was worn out. So it required you to play only Marconi records or regular records. You could not mix. This was one of their great problems.and soon they were dropped. </div>
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However, there was a short number tried in the South American market in 1908 in double disc format. These are quite rare today. </div>
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But nothing is more uncommon than the original sleeves for these records. The sleeves were made of a heavy cardboard and had a thin cellophane window in the place for the record label. Some what reminiscent of Victor's and G&T's celebrity record sleeves of the 1903-1905 period. They had a picture of Marconi and info on the records. But most of all the sleeve announces to all that this invention of the Marconi record is as wonderful as wireless! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFO0_qIDLZPUm5XsK4u-bUTCEU3Gu5-8SFveSfrm3GIvsGEbT8GQxlJ8yzy_dl9dlN1dan2b7Q1Ua8GcWB9kaetHYS7N2cUx8HLw_J7M2D41x6NJ213vCZtGJwdntkjJ8ohHkh/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFO0_qIDLZPUm5XsK4u-bUTCEU3Gu5-8SFveSfrm3GIvsGEbT8GQxlJ8yzy_dl9dlN1dan2b7Q1Ua8GcWB9kaetHYS7N2cUx8HLw_J7M2D41x6NJ213vCZtGJwdntkjJ8ohHkh/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The regular Marconi label after they put up the picture of him with his hairpiece.(See an earlier article on these records)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDcT1WmuDzfiu9mi4c8k7i4_W1n_85o0znXksKF2fDDJe4kqOeRQEJ_5DubJ74V7ecCP7cOFLxI2f3ihFek3pwNbZbyqusWh1lkQ8KiQo52jbboarXrVX_ZpdnXkPtJOPmwR4/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDcT1WmuDzfiu9mi4c8k7i4_W1n_85o0znXksKF2fDDJe4kqOeRQEJ_5DubJ74V7ecCP7cOFLxI2f3ihFek3pwNbZbyqusWh1lkQ8KiQo52jbboarXrVX_ZpdnXkPtJOPmwR4/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The back with all the do's and don't's of the Marconi Velvet Tone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsM1XDgKJ0z54wJ1WCemzOvdrIdFu_7i8LCiqOVrOGZ1pteSz62cPw_ba9sqw-U_oG9OBJ0tjLFWIh5xfAVRUa-fuld8wwHxmN_iR4zm7LmmYDQtpuo9kSEe-6Lvsf9rvDJ8p/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsM1XDgKJ0z54wJ1WCemzOvdrIdFu_7i8LCiqOVrOGZ1pteSz62cPw_ba9sqw-U_oG9OBJ0tjLFWIh5xfAVRUa-fuld8wwHxmN_iR4zm7LmmYDQtpuo9kSEe-6Lvsf9rvDJ8p/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The quite rare record sleeve in it's original form in 1907<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-xFo6DcdIUsUgLsnLvw2I_jM0QausL9NBLS6dGa8e5TN2NjmktkRzofl6UzKMRWsPzPElFyCfTsiokUGsTou4HCdVa_XbukwrHjLJyR-C8aRQHCeQWpGJH7UWDi91oJGOCyB/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-xFo6DcdIUsUgLsnLvw2I_jM0QausL9NBLS6dGa8e5TN2NjmktkRzofl6UzKMRWsPzPElFyCfTsiokUGsTou4HCdVa_XbukwrHjLJyR-C8aRQHCeQWpGJH7UWDi91oJGOCyB/s320/IMG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As you can see it was really a big thing to Columbia as these records were as wonderful as wireless.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zpRTNoGnXvL2fP-Hfqo8ZvDUKxxXjTcetWl4uP3TzEVdNFqzUpcBx1T3ZjTr764shQXuB8u-Dp4sWxAmVWYVuYYcDgBNQEiEakeKgrE3ddSN7XEH_tv5epKtXUHgzyZfSJ3z/s1600/IMG_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zpRTNoGnXvL2fP-Hfqo8ZvDUKxxXjTcetWl4uP3TzEVdNFqzUpcBx1T3ZjTr764shQXuB8u-Dp4sWxAmVWYVuYYcDgBNQEiEakeKgrE3ddSN7XEH_tv5epKtXUHgzyZfSJ3z/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The last straw and the South American Marconi Records in double disc form in 1908</div>
Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-64538459096301141272013-08-20T19:53:00.002-04:002013-08-20T20:13:24.925-04:00The sales book for the McKinley assassination memorial book.. Late September 1901<br />
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In mid September 1901. The 25th President of the United States died from the effects of an assassins bullet. As soon as the funeral was into swing there were memorial books on the planning board. There would have been several hundred of these thin sales books printed. The book was still being formulated a week after the assassination but, it was in the works. So this book and books like it were brought door to door by hundreds of sales people, The final finished book was a big seller and of course this door to door campaign was quite successful.<br />
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One must remember it was dealing with an assassination of the president. But if you were over 42 years of age at this time you would have seen this as the third assassination of a president in just 36 years! For there had been two before McKinley and they were in a rather close time period. Lincoln in 1865, Garfield in 1881 and then McKinley in 1901.<br />
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So this book would be filled with not only a story about McKinley. But it was filled with Victorian styled grief and overkill. In one of the illustrations it has McKinley being brought into the "Hall of Martyrs" in Heaven. But this book would sell well as McKinley was so universally grieved for.It is odd that he is so little remembered today, considering his popularity then.<br />
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Of course it had instructions to sales agents<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLkmiXBoPdLiUFmNNBEcsLvUgLVINIMqHt7Npah5FqoBWe2k4mZsfni3pmtbGsjki6Dlk1-ptenk6w8ZuwC1_vlJmgPx0hfT7oNGrW7G2XNC1_wtWG23nFF9osVYy_wJnuGQf/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLkmiXBoPdLiUFmNNBEcsLvUgLVINIMqHt7Npah5FqoBWe2k4mZsfni3pmtbGsjki6Dlk1-ptenk6w8ZuwC1_vlJmgPx0hfT7oNGrW7G2XNC1_wtWG23nFF9osVYy_wJnuGQf/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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An example of the title page and a few chapters to give a certain gist to the book that was to be.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oDUeYf1NCVwGX17avOxBrK68cAO_g3KwxrYhFPHAE3z9sE8y8CPwLbU9MVGNT0sbzVkjDpMzs7t985rj4roR2mf4wjTZaGZckkPPdfAPM8HJAI43EaRopHwhgt0bkIv6Swgh/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oDUeYf1NCVwGX17avOxBrK68cAO_g3KwxrYhFPHAE3z9sE8y8CPwLbU9MVGNT0sbzVkjDpMzs7t985rj4roR2mf4wjTZaGZckkPPdfAPM8HJAI43EaRopHwhgt0bkIv6Swgh/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" /></a><br />
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Showing who else had been shot and killed in the last 36 years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbKpzaZXj8LnVGA-KBpZi-eaW67nh1EjPTHcsoja2Z2LuZf6QPW64Zae7qK9q_IEHEx0rwp7O5Hv_UpeXlnRnbinqS26QxwKUsHcPjlsX4KEjRfZsxfMMj4kgOU5lF5gx8Twq/s1600/IMG_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbKpzaZXj8LnVGA-KBpZi-eaW67nh1EjPTHcsoja2Z2LuZf6QPW64Zae7qK9q_IEHEx0rwp7O5Hv_UpeXlnRnbinqS26QxwKUsHcPjlsX4KEjRfZsxfMMj4kgOU5lF5gx8Twq/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lastly, the order form<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDknoYeBsZPxjGc0LfsU0tkB5rVK-g12ctJt1zr8ta6Zou27dAen0ki_h5_I-2thUYUBIIO5pZjvxfO2aB_5tdS-bzl_4gQiIbfqFNJNeMP_5dr1Y_RKjFYI2AnrEWMCj649or/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDknoYeBsZPxjGc0LfsU0tkB5rVK-g12ctJt1zr8ta6Zou27dAen0ki_h5_I-2thUYUBIIO5pZjvxfO2aB_5tdS-bzl_4gQiIbfqFNJNeMP_5dr1Y_RKjFYI2AnrEWMCj649or/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-5066675463745897522013-08-14T16:27:00.001-04:002013-08-14T19:11:34.401-04:00The first commercial recordings of birds... Bremen, Germany 1910<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In 1910 the German branch of the Gramophone Company made a series of unique recordings at the Aviary of Karl Reich in Bremen. This was a very adventurous jump in the field of acoustic recording. For in this case the recordings were made onto wax masters that could not be stopped or started once the recording began. Everything was done on a single take. Just the thought of that makes it so remarkable. But the Gramophone Company was not there to record one of the canaries of the operatic stage, They were there to record the voices of birds! These first recordings were on red seal records.</div>
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The Nightingale recording was done first. In fact there were several Nightingale recordings made. Some with great results and of course a few that were problematic. Of course these birds were remarkably loud and sang a lot. It is interesting as you listen to the recording made over 100 years ago you can hear the bird bouncing around in it's cage. </div>
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The Gramophone Company which had just changed it's name back from being the Gramophone and Typewriter Company was rightly proud of these recordings made by it's German branch and by the recording engineer Max Hampe. The process was explained in literature put out by the Gramophone Company and also by it's sister companies in other parts of Europe and in the United States. The pressings shown here are from the pressings by the Victor Talking Machine Company in the 1913-15 period. In it's description of the recording process a cage was placed directly before the recording horn and the bird was allowed to sing. It was quite amazing how much the birds did sing. The recordings were an acoustical triumph. They are remarkably lifelike and are stilled used in digital form on some bird sites. </div>
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The following recordings were made in the 1910 to 1912 period. They would be pressed in much of Europe till 1914 and in the United States till 1916. During the war anything German was banned. But these wonderful recordings were re-released by 1920. These recordings were the first and are still highly regarded in the field of bird song recordings. Who would have thought that one hundred and three years ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0gG11kA1xHljPb1ZcrdGWhmeu3yRpRRZXYCh7jn5cd7wJg-RCUIz1uvcq6-NrfwtRFVGocg_tvfOuucBMoBJvYo4KpthzElCbCUpc0ayq66kAYXlhWe31NEJHUzbUqzBPlQS/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0gG11kA1xHljPb1ZcrdGWhmeu3yRpRRZXYCh7jn5cd7wJg-RCUIz1uvcq6-NrfwtRFVGocg_tvfOuucBMoBJvYo4KpthzElCbCUpc0ayq66kAYXlhWe31NEJHUzbUqzBPlQS/s320/IMG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A 1913 pressing of the 1910 original and first recording of captive Nightingale. These recordings were remarkable. But quite understandably were not massive sellers. Today they are quite rare. Putting the bird on a red seal record was an odd choice. This label was used for the most famous opera singers and classical instrumentalists. But for a while this Nightingale from Bremen, Germany was one of the great stars on red seal records. The Nightingale was in the company of Caruso, Tetrazzini, Melba and other singers that many would call canaries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8WCwN4GcfsnmzqfzZYTs6gS-DQyrJsf_Hjw-3FuYM-Nsba9ovDpvMI4SDY9XyyLmrFB4AfsJQqQyeBvCPiRUZlxsZqQ6qtu4EFgYtpnHB-lCIYDnUiJPTRDL-jNNULSmjiQL/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8WCwN4GcfsnmzqfzZYTs6gS-DQyrJsf_Hjw-3FuYM-Nsba9ovDpvMI4SDY9XyyLmrFB4AfsJQqQyeBvCPiRUZlxsZqQ6qtu4EFgYtpnHB-lCIYDnUiJPTRDL-jNNULSmjiQL/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In this adventurous recording there is a duet. Two birds in front of a recording horn from the 1910-1912 period. All of these blue labeled Victor recordings were pressed in the 1913-15 period..Rather than being on the Red Seal the other birds were on blue label records. in which all would be in time. But this is an example of an early 1913-15 style label.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIZoJCebtVd8pV4FYwpGn9U5geBPDd-jJ5OxhQ0eDTbmo56aVvk1sGRdIma_GXbSgcWdzui6OvNQ484ZyQQJOTjwNQfjhEsXE1kw8z7AEUM1CZ90SVssTVJJ_l0HVYkyE4EUB/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIZoJCebtVd8pV4FYwpGn9U5geBPDd-jJ5OxhQ0eDTbmo56aVvk1sGRdIma_GXbSgcWdzui6OvNQ484ZyQQJOTjwNQfjhEsXE1kw8z7AEUM1CZ90SVssTVJJ_l0HVYkyE4EUB/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is the lovely song of a Sprosser (also known as a field Nightingale)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlJvh6CPtRE3n4T9ej_g7wjgO7_w9ot_-F_94x98DWrcXnmDdVZLNMWNw6JtsFVGZj4HyZJfXbswq-UyX7rR_cChBGB-gSsrTa-N0XUeG_Px_gTbXIV8EH_wV_zQL9Rse24Je/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlJvh6CPtRE3n4T9ej_g7wjgO7_w9ot_-F_94x98DWrcXnmDdVZLNMWNw6JtsFVGZj4HyZJfXbswq-UyX7rR_cChBGB-gSsrTa-N0XUeG_Px_gTbXIV8EH_wV_zQL9Rse24Je/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The second recording of a Nightingale made in 1910.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cfqe9HZRsK2JDGVdqnB5OwRLA10CegwQE024L8eW7nKuSqDI_0McezV3KFAi0yof0K3nAevDvHC7JPOzxU-vyofWJEQuji4hG3alFn02414FX8c8GWYat5X8UxasSX-tnXj6/s1600/IMG_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cfqe9HZRsK2JDGVdqnB5OwRLA10CegwQE024L8eW7nKuSqDI_0McezV3KFAi0yof0K3nAevDvHC7JPOzxU-vyofWJEQuji4hG3alFn02414FX8c8GWYat5X8UxasSX-tnXj6/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lastly the song of a Thrush. Recorded in the 1910 -1912 period. Recorded before the World Wars and the dreadful destruction of the of the age in which these recordings were made. A rare and unique series of recordings.Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-17296503309248347312013-08-02T20:30:00.001-04:002013-08-02T20:33:12.497-04:00Deaths on August 2, 1921, 1922, 1923. Three major deaths on the same day over three years.<br />
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August the second is a day in the minds of those who are into opera, invention, and the American Presidency. For on that date in three consecutive years died one from each of these categories. I found it rather interesting that each of these individuals were very prominent in the field they represented. Since I am very interested in all three fields I am interested in each of them.<br />
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In Naples, Italy on August 2, 1921 died the greatest voice of a generation. The great operatic tenor Enrico Caruso.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY1PFdS6r_yOtsv98rUDLdDhD5QluOeDEI_NVWgUFSfwvBPpAwQ2B3GwnzfmbPDmyfkHwky02ZiC_ymhHyzuYwlgTxV6evavPyi2S7tgvKjc192f33Z3wWwM35qGZA2hgIx1q/s1600/CARUSO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY1PFdS6r_yOtsv98rUDLdDhD5QluOeDEI_NVWgUFSfwvBPpAwQ2B3GwnzfmbPDmyfkHwky02ZiC_ymhHyzuYwlgTxV6evavPyi2S7tgvKjc192f33Z3wWwM35qGZA2hgIx1q/s1600/CARUSO.jpg" /></a></div>
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In Canada on August 2, 1922 died one of the great inventors of the age. The inventor of the telephone Alexander Graham Bell.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfutAadStrn8K7-sVCjgk3aqrpQnSip2_JqbpgwfvQefZWkhYmDqAeNjUdfb118e4ZF_INFuJWpO5Eft7fbVKhSWQraqPVh0OZ8KbP9WIqzaJKQVw55wLoPiPuLy6KzYk08mv/s1600/BELL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfutAadStrn8K7-sVCjgk3aqrpQnSip2_JqbpgwfvQefZWkhYmDqAeNjUdfb118e4ZF_INFuJWpO5Eft7fbVKhSWQraqPVh0OZ8KbP9WIqzaJKQVw55wLoPiPuLy6KzYk08mv/s320/BELL.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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In San Francisco, California on August 2, 1923, Warren G. Harding the 29th President of the United States died <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJIUKQkXDd1sIurByf7-jqmJDjUPYse5rrSAn8NkhnSLCF2nL1vV0DBQQnab-uzbwsw2jV7d5OY6816kBnc-oyUhgpxz_0UzB7cA5OGK0OeFtVcK-DVLB2vvXTW1pmZr0xDMV/s1600/HARDING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJIUKQkXDd1sIurByf7-jqmJDjUPYse5rrSAn8NkhnSLCF2nL1vV0DBQQnab-uzbwsw2jV7d5OY6816kBnc-oyUhgpxz_0UzB7cA5OGK0OeFtVcK-DVLB2vvXTW1pmZr0xDMV/s320/HARDING.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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They always say things come in three's. From 1921 to 1923 on August the second they sure did.Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-25936305360107462702013-07-28T21:57:00.001-04:002013-07-29T22:14:13.624-04:00How computers have changed in my lifetime.<br />
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I have lived long enough now to say that I remember the saying that "computers are the future for man". Of course, that was being said in the late 1950's and 1960's. I never saw a real computer till the World's Fair in New York in 1964-65. Most probably it was not a real computer, just operational to fit the demonstration that was going on for the fair. But at the fair I learned what computers would do for us. I am still waiting for computers to do some of what was said at the fair.<br />
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1. clean the house<br />
2. drive a car<br />
3. start the dinner at home<br />
4. run the household<br />
5. take care of all the bills<br />
6. call you on the phone<br />
7. be an entertainment center<br />
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That was just a few of the things I remember at the fair, as to computers. Of course my only understanding of computers at that time circa 1965 was things like Robbie the Robot, Batman, Time Tunnel, and other movies and TV shows. Also lots of toys being made in Japan of all kinds of robots and phony computer activated devices. <br />
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I really kind of thought the same of robots and computers. They seemed the same..They were from the future. I was looking forward to computers and robots driving and cleaning. I remember at the World's Fair there was an exhibit that had a car driving itself and that gave the ladies in the car more time to relax and smoke. It was a different age!<br />
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The closest I came to robots was in 1969 in Ft. Lauderdale Florida in which a A&P store was retrofitted with automatic devices to make shopping easier and it led to a massive disaster at the store which I wrote about several years ago.<br />
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I saw my first computer in High School. It was the size of a large room. Also it really did nothing much except punch some of those silly computer punch cards. My school was very excited All of our special cards for teachers to sign came from that computer. So it had holes all over where people needed to write.<br />
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In the late 1960's and early 1970's the reel to reel type of computer taped machines really made a splash and many companies used them. I remember working for a few few companies that had them. all the blinking lights in front that did nothing, just were there. This I learned from a repairman, to let people know it was doing something. We had all looked at the lights in the computers on TV and were amazed by the lights that flashed on and off and I was rather let down by that info.<br />
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I worked for a company in 1979 that had two massive consoles and two massive computers connected to the consoles by many wires. Each time we needed to change any info we needed to change the reel. Connected to the computers were massive printers to make the spreadsheets and they noisily typed out like a typewriter all the information. The papers always got jammed in these copiers. The whole thing was huge, ineffective, gave off a lot of heat, and was extremely temperamental;.<br />
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The personal computer made its splash in the late 1970's using cassette tapes. They were not much more than a toy. But in 1982 the IBM personal computer made its first appearance. It was not too fast to gain ground as there was not too much to do with them. Of the two models there was one with a hard drive (IBM AT) and another that just used floppy discs (IBM XP).<br />
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I was very lucky at the dawn of the computer age to get a job at a research laboratory under the unique and brilliant eye of Dr.Gopinath ..We all called him Gopi for short and it was a rare privilege to work under him. The fact of how I understood the idea of how a research lab worked helped later in Edison research.<br />
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Gopi ordered a 20 IBM computers in his quest for artificial intelligence. When Gopi saw me looking at these new and rather small computers he said to me "Jack start playing with them, have some fun" So I turned on an IBM AT computer and it slowly came up and the monitor came on and was in color. It was so amazingly basic, but to me that day it was like entering a new world. I had a wonderful time working at Gopi's lab and I was there a long time till funding was reduced.<br />
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Before long there was a IBM AT Plus and more computers came into the fray. In the mid 1980's, we had an early form of internet at Bellcore where I was working and we could send rather quick communications to other workers in the building. Of course this was early on and we were programming using VI and C. We also had huge Sun Microsystem computers. that could give you separate windows. Which was an amazing feature.<br />
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By the late 1980's I was working for a computer store and repair place. It was called Microage Computers and this was the age of the networks and servers. I did simple repairs on the rather simple computers. The fanciest machine at this time was the Compaq 286. In fact I was at the party for the announcement of the newest and most advanced computer ever at the time. The Compaq 386.<br />
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It was at this time I got out of the computer field.<br />
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Now 25 years alter I am writing this on a computer I would never have dreamed of then. On to an internet that was not even dreamed of either. The computer has become a part of our lives. Now we have smart phones that are little computers and much more that I really do not understand.<br />
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Once I was on the cutting edge of this technology, now I see things that are beyond my wildest dreams. What will be the next giant step? I am amazed and I remember where it all began. My hasn't it been amazing!<br />
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Those of us who were in this first generation of computers saw the beginnings of a whole new world.<br />
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<br />Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23381024.post-22756297001757008642013-07-22T13:23:00.000-04:002013-07-22T13:23:20.367-04:00The railroading of Captain Turner of the Lusitania<br />
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/William_Thomas_Turner_1915.jpg/300px-William_Thomas_Turner_1915.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/William_Thomas_Turner_1915.jpg/300px-William_Thomas_Turner_1915.jpg" /></a><br />
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Captain Turner was in charge of the Lusitania in May of 1915. This was his misfortune. Although he was prudent and well admired captain. He was railroaded by the none other than Winston Churchill and the Admiralty.The more one really knows Churchill, the more really sees who he was really was.<br />
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The poor captain was used as pawn and allowed to be destroyed. The war that was fought from 1914 till 1918 was the war to continue all wars. Certainly not to end them. Churchill always welcomed wars and I am really of a belief that there was a genuine desire to see the Lusitania sunk. Churchill wanted the United States in the war very badly and he was hoping some sinking like this would help. Germany was not really the enemy of England, although England felt threatened by Germany's rise to power. It was all due to keeping England on top. The war was a war about nothing. The war that would forever change the world and ruin much of the future.<br />
How many lives were lost and how many destroyed for this dreadful event that was the blame of both England and Germany. The world of warfare and plain decency in government was railroaded by the Admiralty in 1915. Sadly Churchill would be up to his same tricks later.<br />
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Captain Turner you were a great man who was allowed to be destroyed for another's profit.<br />
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Jack Stanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00630287034140371292noreply@blogger.com