[78-L] (no subject)

[Stephen Davies]

        Writing in a philosophical mood, and knowing that there can be 
only speculation, without an absolute answer....  Recorded immortality 
hand in hand with mortality.

        I was wondering about how TV kicked into high gear in the 1950's, 
and the late nights were filled with old movies, even some silents.... How 
the TV audience at some point in time (1958, 1959, 1960....?) would 
realize that many of these early actors were now dead.  Any ghoulish 
feeling might be mixed with an engrossing plotline and/or a blossoming 
sense of camp based on the style and foibles of previous generations.  (I 
don't think people were mislabelling it "Nostalgia" yet.)

        So was there a similar watershed moment in the history of 78's, 
when people realized that the majority of recorded sound belonged to 
deceased personalities?  Or was the 78 rpm era based always on new songs, 
new styles without any retrospective similar to the TV programming and no 
sentimental prickings?

        There seems to be a great sense of addressing posterity in the 
earliest Edison recordings.  At some point, recorded sound became so 
common that it was just a consumeable moment rather than a historic event. 
 When did discs regain the status of  being a legacy?  I presume the 
answer depends on what genre of recording is being considered:  classical, 
popular, spoken word...

- Stephen D
Calgary


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