[78-L] parts - metal parts

[Michael Biel]

On 1/6/2011 9:52 AM, neechevoneeznayou at gmail.com wrote:
> Since we have been on the subject of shellac transcriptions lately, I
> wonder if any metal parts for any 16" transcriptions are known to
> survive. Transfers should be made of such, especially if they are early
> radio or soundtracks. (And what else would they be if not radio or film
> sound?)
>
> Anybody own some? Seen some? Know where some are?
>
> joe salerno

You got a shovel?  Around 1970 RCA blew up the building that had housed 
its vault.  After removing the stuff they owned and offering their 
clients a chance to remove their stuff, several thousand metal parts for 
Thesaurus and client transcriptions went down with it and were bulldozed 
under.  I also came across a book in the Sony archives listing thousands 
of 16-inch RCA client masters that were destroyed in 1949.  There's a 
lot of metal in dem dere masters.

But I hadn't thought about it -- I haven't ever seen a 16-inch metal 
part.  Wait -- there might have been one on display in the Turner 
exhibit in the CNN Building in Atlanta, along with a soundtrack disc.  
I'd have to check the videotape.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com