[ARSCLIST] 1937 disc recordings from the field

["Prentice, Will" <Will.Prentice@xxxxx>]

Colleagues

The request for info below is copied with consent from the IASA list. Please
respond to the sender directly at ipngs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx as he's not an ARSC
list member.
Thanks

Will

>Hello all,
>
>There is a collection of aluminium discs recorded in Papua New Guinea in
>1937. As I have a copy of the invoice, I know exactly what machine was
>used: "VHANZ - Model F-29 Double Turntable Fairchild-Proctor Recorder",
>supplied by Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation (New York). The cost for
>the recorder and a multitude of replacement parts was over USD 1500, which
>must have been quite expensive at the time.
>
>This was one of the first (if not THE first) collection made here using
>microphones and a separate power supply. Although the expedition that used
>it collapsed after only a month, 34 discs (10", 12", and mostly 16")
>survive.
>
>My questions: are any of you familiar with this company (Fairchild) or the
>equipment used? Was the equipment at all common at this time? Were
>aluminium discs a very popular medium for field work? There are more
>questions, but first I'd like to find someone familiar with this.
>
>Thanks for your help.
>
>Don Niles
>Head & Senior Ethnomusicologist
>Music Department
>Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies
>P.O. Box 1432
>Boroko 111
>PAPUA NEW GUINEA
>
>tel.:   [675] 325-4644
>fax:    [675] 325-0531
>email:  ipngs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx



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