[78-L] Mystery Edison Test

[David Lewis]

Thanks everyone for the information. And I suspected that this might be a Diamond Disc from which the labels fell off. But I have seen actual Edison test records that are basically identical; plain white paper label with hand written information. So it is hard to know unless you make sure that the disc represents a coupling that was actually issued.

And did we ever find consensus as to how to clean these things? This record needs a bath, and I recall that Edison's own suggestion of isopropyl alcohol is actually injurious to the record. In fact, getting it wet at all seems like a bad idea, but I would like to clean it up if I can.

Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com



> Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 16:20:59 +0000
> From: kimbrell at SDF.LONESTAR.ORG
> To: uncledavelewis at hotmail.com
> CC: 78-l at 78online.com
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Mystery Edison  Test
> 
> On Fri, 26 Nov 2010, David Lewis wrote:
> >
> > I have a blank labeled Edison test I can't identify:
> >
> For Edison info try http://www.truesoundtransfers.de/disco.htm
> 
> I've never found an Edison record that I couldn't identify by using this 
> site.  The Diamond Disc listings are from the original Edison ledgers from 
> the Edison National Historic Site and Mike Loughlin.  Christian Zwarg has 
> compiled this info into a huge .xls file.  There you can find that your 
> record (51531-L and 51531-R) has Billy Jones as the vocalist with the 
> Nathan Glantz Orchestra on the -L side and Vernon Dalhart as the vocalist 
> with the Jack Stillman Orchestra on the -R side.
> 
> Bob Kimbrell W0AO Kansas City, MO
> kimbrell at freeshell.org
> http://kimbrell.freeshell.org/
> SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org