[78-L] Long length Billy Murray acoustical Victors

[Ryan Barna]

I went ahead and transcribed the full details (including the numbers and dimensions) as given in the ledgers.
 
I'd like to quote something from Moran and Fagan's EDVR (Mx. Series 1-4999): "Fortunately for us at that time, about 1969, one of the people most directly involved in keeping the files and logs, Miss Elsie Garrison, who had joined the company in the 1920s, had recently retired, so I wrote to her, stated my purpose and interest, and cited the official letter quoted above as proof of our bona fides. I then received a cordial letter from her explaining some of the notations that appeared in the files and also implying that the information we sought might not be as readily available as we believed because of the wear and tear suffered by the files over the years. Unfortunately for us, she then went on to make clear that she did not wish to become involved in what her experience told her would be a most time-consuming project." (p. xii)
 
I wish I could include all the details about the horn dimensions and connectors used for my Murray discography, but they're all written in codes. I have no idea how I would be able to interpret the data when I don't know what the data means myself. I'd love to know what kind of equipment was used for Murray's records in comparison with others. For instance, Caruso, or large ensemble records.
 
(Is there anyone still alive who would know what "H30," "HC" or "HI" really stood for? What in the world does "Hold Conditional" mean? Why would they mark "Hold 30 Days" when they were obviously held a lot longer?) Does Sony have any other archive or resource that could help crack the code on many of these mysterious notations?
 
Before I forget, there is a very, very late use of the "BB" prefix I found on June 28, 1915 for "It's Tulip Time in Holland," but all the takes were destroyed.
 
Letter: BB 112
Serial No.: 8698 "M"
Mat. [matrix] No.: [take 1 - the number "1" was never used for the first take, the first take was always left blank prior to 1911]
Name of Selections: Night trip to Buffalo Descriptive Spec Label RC 23
When Made: 3-11-10
Composer: [none]
Box: D
Horn: 60/60 11/11
Con. [connection?]: 11 1/2 + 14

Letter: BB 112
Serial No.: 8698 "Des."
Mat. [matrix] No.: 2
Name of Selections: Night trip to Buffalo Descriptive Spec Label 72 115
When Made: 3-11-10
Composer: [none]
Box: D
Horn: 60/60 11/11
Con. [connection?]: 11 1/2 + 14
 
Letter: BB 112
Serial No.: 8686 "M"
Mat. [matrix] No.: 4
Name of Selections: Casey Jones 72 118 S
Composer: Newton
Box: D
Horn: 60/60 11/11
Con. [connection?]: 11 1/2 + 14
 
Letter: BB 112
Serial No.: 9142 "M"
Mat. [matrix] No.: [take 1]
Name of Selections: Farmyard Medley RC/1
When Made: 6-28-10
Composer: [none]
Box: A
Horn: 11/11
Con. [connection?]: 14
 
Letter: BB 112
Serial No.: 9142 "Des"
Mat. [matrix] No.: 2
Name of Selections: Farmyard Medley 5
When Made: 6-28-10
Composer: [none]
Box: D
Horn: 11/11
Con. [connection?]: 14
 
The numbers surrounding the other "B" prefixes are a lot lower, although all three takes of "Call Me Up Some Rainy Afternoon" and take 5 of "Casey Jones" have 104 after the Bs. Everything else either has 92 or 88.