Re: [ARSCLIST] Edisoniae--was: The Incompetence at ENHS

["Steven C. Barr(x)" <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roger and Allison Kulp" <thorenstd124@xxxxxxxxx>
> I don't know the history of how the recordings got
> into the hands of McGraw/Hill,in 1956,someone could
> enlighten me here.Why didn't they just put the
> catalogue,on the market,and let some other label
> reissue the stuff,and make money off of it ?
> 
McGraw-Hill acquired the remains of Edison mainly because the
Ediphone dictation recorder was still a saleable item...as well
as because the company owned other still-valid patents relating
to various electric appliances. In 1956, it was 27 years since
the last Edison record had been issued...and since Edison had
virtually no jazz nor blues in its archives, it was assumed
that any reissues therefrom had little if any commercial
potential.

The market for "old" recordings had flourished (to a limited
extent) in the forties, but was limited to "classic" blues
and jazz performances (which Edison never recorded).

Steven C. Barr