[78-L] Collectors (was: Advent of Electrical Recording: Bubble Books)

[Michael Biel]

From: Geoffrey Wheeler <dialjazz at verizon.net>
> I am quickly learning from the 78-List that members can be
> very helpful in providing information and links for 
> research projects! 

Between this and several other lists, and the associations, there is
quite a fraternity of collectors becoming more easily accessible for
info.  Your're with IAJRC, right? (International Association of Jazz
Record Collectors).  I have been occasionally but am more involved with
ARSC and IASA (Association for Recorded Sound Collections and
International Assoc. of Sound and Audio-Video Archives).  I have been
saying for years that the 78-L is like a daily ARSC Conference!  I do
hope that we can have many listers coming to ARSC in New Orleans May
19-22, and I especially urge people to take advantage of the very rare
U.S. IASA Conference in PHILADELPHIA Nov 2-6.  I would love to have a
large contingent of private collectors there because in past years I was
often the only private collector there or one of maybe two or three --
but it is your chance to meet the curators of sound archives all over
the world.

> I got my Bubble Book from the late Jack Areson, who lived in
> Montclair, N.J. Jack collected records, some 20,000 military 
> figures and canon, pre-War trains and track-side structures,
> and Nazi-era paraphernalia. Every piece of furniture in the
> house was vintage, if not necessarily antique. In addition
> to having about 35,000 78s and an equal number of LPs in his
> basement, he also had a free-standing garage in which he kept
> non-collectible records and shelf upon shelf of books. There
> was barely space to walk. When “shopping” for records in his
> basement, I would bring a flashlight so I can actually see
> what I was doing. Jack once told me his record-accumulating
> ambition was to have “one of everything.”  Geoffrey Wheeler 

Your description of Jack Areson sounds like many of those on the list,
and many others I know.  Some of them can be seen on this:  (Shameless
plug.)  Geoffrey and other newcomers to the list might not know about
the documentary my daughter Leah produced about record collectors "For
the Record".  There are some excerpts and other info at
http://fortherecorddvdspecial.blogspot.com/  The discount price for
78-ellers is still quite available.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com