[78-L] Engraved records

[DAVID BURNHAM]

I just came across an interesting record.  It's a speech by Leo Tolstoy.  I haven't played it yet but it must be less than a minute long because there is only about an inch of recorded grooves and the rest of the surface is a large engraving of his signature.  Another engraved disc I have is a speech by King George V on the occasion of the opening of the Tyne Bridge in Scotland.  This is a 12 inch black label Columbia Viva~Tonal.  The recorded area on this record is only a couple of inches and the rest of the surface is an engraving of the bridge in the upper half and the royal crest and the date in the lower half.  It makes for a very attractive record.

Since Tolstoy was born in 1828, this is probably the oldest recorded person I have on records, (he shared the planet with Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, etc).  Previously the oldest one I knew of was Josef Joachim, but he was three years younger.

db