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David & Kurt and others.....As an NRPB Board alternate
member and from our discussions, one of the six "criteria" for
nominations is that unpublished (hence private recordings, broadcast recordings,
etc.) can be nominated as well as published (commercial) recordings be they
music, non-music, spoken word, or broadcast sound. But it is unclear to be
me Kurt what you mean by "privately held". Do you
mean a commercially made recording (released or unreleased) which
would mean published but in private hands? Or privately recorded
hence "unpublished"?
Remember one of the other criteria: "Recordings
selected for the National Recording Registry are those that are culturally,
historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the
United States." Very broad, but I would speculate that "technically
significant for the history of recorded sound" would also
be understood as being in the above criteria.
If a recording that "exists" is placed on the registry I would
imagine the process would follow as it does for the National Film Registry,
which is when significant films that still exist were selected for the
registry. The item could already have been preserved, or LC would seek to
locate the original or best surviving copy and if possible obtain a copy
which could lead to preservation work. It does not affect the owner's
rights in any way. However the item must be known
to "exist" on a recording which could then possibly lead to locating the
original or copy closest to the original, thus enhancing the
possibility that the item(s) will be properly preserved in the best
sound.
An example of a group of recordings (unpublished) I will
nominate is FDR's "Fireside Chats" broadcasts. Now they exist in various
places, but probably the best copies would be the
instantaneous transcription discs held either by the FDR Library or
National Archives. Or another group would be the "Mapleson
Cylinders" (already preserved) and so on.
An example of an unpublished single broadcast
recording would be President Woodrow Wilson Armistice Day speech from
November 10, 1923. Not only was it his last speech, this one is
electrical and of an actual broadcast ? the earliest still in
existence.
I am not an expert in commercial recordings, but I would
assume such obvious items such as Elvis Presley's first released
recording; or those of Robert Johnson's blues recordings, and on and
on......the possiblities of recordings that were "first", or helped define
a musical genre, or were technically significant, all could be
possibilities.
Anyone anywhere gets to send in ten nominations if the
recording falls within the six criteria.
Les Waffen
Special Media Archives
National Archives
>>> davlew@xxxxxxxxxxxx 09/19/02 11:40AM >>> Bill, I echo Kurt's question and add another. There is a rule about not nominating recordings which are considered "lost". But what about nominating recordings of which the primary master is missing or the loaction is unknown? Will this institute a search for the primary master, or the best available copies? David N. Lewis Assistant Classical Editor All Media Guide 301 E. Liberty Suite 400 Ann Arbor, MI 48104 davlew@xxxxxxxxxxxx Bill, are privately held recordings allowed to be nominated? If so, and if they are admitted to the registry, what would it mean for the owner? Is there some obligation to preserve? Would it be like owning a registered historical building? Would it prevent you from doing something with/to the artifact? Kurt & Diane Nauck c/o Nauck's Vintage Records 22004 Sherrod Ln. Spring, TX 77389 Website: www.78rpm.com E-Mail: nauck@xxxxxxxxx Phone: (281) 288-7826 Fax: (425) 930-6862 - For subscription instructions, see the ARSC home page http://www.arsc-audio.org/arsclist.html Copyright of individual posting is owned by the author of the posting and permission to re-transmit or publish a post must be secured from the author of the post. - For subscription instructions, see the ARSC home page http://www.arsc-audio.org/arsclist.html Copyright of individual posting is owned by the author of the posting and permission to re-transmit or publish a post must be secured from the author of the post. |