[78-L] Abrams File was Rigler-Deutsch index

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Thomas Stern" <sternth at attglobal.net>
> Is there a version of the Abrams File online?
>
There WAS...it was downloadable at Ron Fial's 78Online.com web site!
I'm not sure if it is still there...?! Ty Settlemier's online discographic 
is
based on HTML-ized versions of Abrams' data along with other
similar HTML compilations...!

>>From querying worldcat it appears that quite a few classical, and
> other labels, not in 78discography, were included in Rigler-Deutsch and
> ARE included in worldcat, though with many errors.  I find worldcat 
> tedious
> to use
> - I haven't found the way to limit search to record label....
>
> My recollection of Rigler Deutsch is that it was intended as a "union
> catalog"
> of sound recordings in the collections of participating institutions - 
> don't
> remember
> if private collector collections were included.
>
No...they weren't! It was a compilation of the catalogs of a few MAJOR
library-held collections. Its "achilles' heel" was the fact it was 
originally
compiled by a part-time staff with NO discographic knowledge or
experience, working from photographs of record labels...one can WELL
imagine the results...?! It was intended to be a list of readily-available
library-owned phonorecords...?!

> We certainly need a good online universal discography - everything from
> tinfoil
> to cd and whatever is next.  It would be nice to have images of labels,
> album/jacket,
> notes, etc. also included.
>
> Steve, how much of your collection has been added to 78discography?
>
"78discography" my CommunityZero operation (this is no longer kept up
since CommunityZero became "pay to play!")...or "78 discography" as a
concept? I am currently trying to enter the label + number data on EACH
78 in EVERY milk box in my shellac archive...however, it takes about a
day per milk box (about 130 78's) to do this...! It is a "slow but sure"
sort of project...!

...stevenc