[Table of Contents]


[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [ARSCLIST] unknown artists and archives



  Yes they do.University libraries,more than public libraries.The public ones,being more desperate for sources of funds,so they will sell everything they can,even if it's for ten cents a pop.The universities get big grants,so they don't care so much about making money.Here,at The Universty of New Mexico,there was a very interesting used bookstore,in the main library.This was where all the donations were dumped. Occsionally,I would find a nice pile of books (I once found some very nice Russian-printed classical scores,from the 1880s-1920s for  twenty-five cents a pop,that I made some nice money off of,as well as a signed book of Ronald Reagan's radio addresses,for three bucks,that also went on eBay.),but mostly I bought records.Lots of records,at twenty-five cents a pop.I bought some NHK transcriptions from the 70s,including a Mravinsky.I bought a big pile of nice  CentraI/South American 60s/70s rock 45s.I bought two acoustic Vasa Prihoda Polydor rarities.I found a big old
 pile of CBC classical transcriptions,including a precolumbian Glenn Gould,and a late 50s/or early 60s French radio transcription ,by Jean Martinon.I found a few choice(Multi hundred dollar.) early UK Lp piano rarities.This store did a lot of business,including business from a book dealer they saved stuff for,who bought dozens of cartons of books a month,including most of the collector's stuff.They did a lot of business,but apparently it wasn't enough for UNM.In 2002,they closed the shop,to make room for a Starbuck's.
   They still get donations.These are all sorted throgh by students,before they hit the dumpsters.They have thier own hierachy,and turf staked out for the stuff.I  know this,because I  know one of these students,who regularly sell at the local flea market.So  some of it does get saved,including,possibly,your collections.
                        Roger Kulp
Don Cox <doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: On 28/09/06, Karl Miller wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Sep 2006, David Seubert wrote:
> 
>> As a corollary, I'm sometimes a bit disappointed/jealous when a great
>> collection doesn't come to an archive and is split up or sold off or
>> whatever, but the important thing is that somebody who knows their
>> stuff whether a collector, dealer, or an archivist evaluates it and
>> makes sure that we aren't unknowingly losing important historical
>> documents.
> 
> Sad to say, in my experience, libraries, archives and music
> departments have caused us to lose more of our recorded legacy than
> collectors.

Librarians seem to like throwing books out. No doubt they have the same
attitude to sound archives.
 
> I used to be disappointed/jealous also when I saw a collection not
> coming to an archive, but based upon my own experience, I regret
> having brought so many wonderful collections to our own and other
> institutions.

Regards
-- 
Don Cox
doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx


 		
---------------------------------
Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2¢/min or less.


[Subject index] [Index for current month] [Table of Contents]