[78-L] HMV catalog/archive?

[goldenbough at arcor.de]

Malcolm, 
there are indeed plenty of catalogs around listing what was issued, but there is no catalog 
of what they actually have in their archive. 

You would think that they have everything they issued, but this is not the case. For example, 
the HMV AX series of Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Armenian material:  they only have about 
60% (my guess). 
On the other hand, they have also runs of, say, Turkish Columbia RT series (with which they 
legally had nothing to do). Or records which the HMV Dum Dum plant in Calcutta (now: Kolkata) 
pressed. I suppose that these series were sent them as a courtesy. And even in all these series 
40% seems to be missing. 

I have a photo of the Victor 38.000 Blues series there (at the old premises), where these $5000 
records were leaning at a 45 degrees angle in the shelves!  

In short: they have most of what they issued, plus some from other companies. 

Same is true for paperwork. Binders with correspondnce are there, but were obviously not 
systematically kept.  1904 may be well documented, and then maybe 1905, for an unknown 
reason, is not. 

As a matter of fact, they don't even know what they have. You'd have to make an appointment 
with them and check on the spot. 

Benno 





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