----- Original Message -----
From: "David Jacobs" <David.Jacobs@xxxxxxxxx>
I am a researcher on the PBS show, History Detectives, a prime-time
series about the discovery, documentation and preservation of historic
American buildings and artifacts. The format of our program is an
investigation of a question posed by an individual who is interested in
learning the history behind an artifact or location and its possible
historical significance.
The story I'm working on now involves an aluminum record with what seems
to be a lost Amos 'n' Andy serial (No. 920) from Thursday, March 5,
1931. It was part of the "Breach of Promise" storyline. I've spoken
with several experts and checked out a number of online databases, and
our recording isn't mentioned as being in existence. So, I am just
trying to confirm to the best of my ability that we do have a lost
recording.
The second thing I am looking into is how this recording was made. It
is an aluminum disc that has been embossed with grooves. The label that
was stuck onto the disc says "Sentinel Chromatron". I know Sentinel
Radio Corp. is the company, but I am not sure what "chromatron" means -
maybe their fancy name for a method of recording sound onto aluminum
discs. The words "Amos 'n' Andy" are written on the label, along with
the call letters "WOW" (a Nebraska radio station owned by Woodmen of the
World Life Insurance). Now our recording includes the first third of
the serial on one side, and the last third of the serial on the other.
In the middle of the recording it cuts out to an announcer who says that
they are broadcasting from Omaha, and then it cuts to a narrator,
followed by a cut to piano music, and finally someone who says that we
are at the home of Ben and Helen from the Homemaker's club where they
sing "Sweethearts at Sweet 16". Now, I think these would have been
daytime broadcasts from a different hour than when Amos 'n' Andy was
being broadcast. Was this recording made by an amateur? Was it
recorded by a radio station for some reason? Did someone pay to have
this specific serial transcribed? Is the middle half of the episode
missing because it was recorded on another disc so that no dialogues
would be lost during the recording?
Any ideas about this recording you can offer would be greatly
appreciated.
I can't claim absolute expertise here, but here is what I think...
The disc is almost certainly NOT an original "Amos'N'Andy" transcription...
although those were used to distribute the program in its early
years. The earlier A'n'A discs were pressed by Marsh Laboratories
in Chicago, and were (IIRC) in the form of 12" shellac records.
From your description, it sounds like an "aircheck" (or one of
a series of them) of station WOW. Such records were often made
for local advertisers as proof that the commercials they paid
for (or programs they paid to sponsor) had actually been aired.
Similar recordings were also made for clients of the recording
service who simply wanted a copy for whatever personal reasons
(although the legality of this was questionable)
And, if the recording service had only a single "disc cutter,"
it is very possible that the missing section of A'n'A was cut
on a second disc (and where that is would be a good question!).
I'll forward your question to the 78-L e-mail list, where there
are two people who would have much more knowledge than myself...
Steven C. Barr
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