The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Yesterday I FINALLY got into my late friend Arthur Pare's storage unit in Johnson City,NY.In 2011 there was a flood in my area that was devastating.I opened up the unit,and I was shocked,to say the least.Everything was a mess,and there were LP's and books stuck together.I'm not interested in those,just the 78's.I did manage to salvage a few: Vogue R718.In The Doghouse Now/Some Sunday Morning.Lulu Belle& Scotty.Capitol 1385.The Navy Gets The Gravy But The Army Gets The Beans/Pa-Pa-Pa Polka.Jerry Lewis.Columbia (Flag label)117D.Big Boy!/Someday,Sweetheart Dolly Kay with The Georgians.Personal Record 72-P.San/Wabash Blues.Barbary Coast Orchestra.Standard Disc Record 3917.Tenor Solo(Harvey Hindemyer)Take Me Out To The Ball Game.Victor SCroll label 22745.Puzzle record part 1/Part 2.Novelty Orchestra(Ray Noble.Vocalion 15038.Steppin'In Society/Charleston.Ben Selvin and His Orchestra. BTW;The next time I visit I'll wear a respirator mask and gloves!I want to see what else I can salvage.edisonplayer PS;The room hasn't been opened in about 20 years.

That puzzle record is a great one, since it has Al Bowlly on it... not the rarest, but still very desirable...

Just curious - I've noticed you end a lot of post titles with "...in music". Is there any particular reason that I'm not aware of?

So all of this was left molding in there ever since the Susquehanna flood? Wow! I've found 78s in abandoned houses and at barn sales where they've basically been outdoors for 75 years before... they're remarkably resilient compared to what replaced them.

HisMastersVoice wrote:Just curious - I've noticed you end a lot of post titles with "...in music". Is there any particular reason that I'm not aware of?

This post is indeed in the "Music" category, but I don't see the need of putting that in the title

I told a friend today that 78's made from shellac are more resilient than vinyl records(LP's and 45's)in a flood.I think it'd be murder on Edison Diamond Discs.Fortunately,Arthur didn't have those in Johnson City.edisonplayer

My sister took me over yesterday.I salvaged a few more,including Fletcher Henderson orchestra on Columbia flag label and Viva-Tonal.The latter was "Sugar Foot Stomp(with Louis Armstrong)and a Vocalion red record.One side was "Do Doodle Oom",the other was "Dicty Blues".That and the Flag Columbia did not have Louie.Also,several electric OKeh's,two by The Goofus Five.I've been busy cleaning off the flood dirt for my treasures.Better than EBay!edisonplayer

Laminated Columbias don't fare too well after being wet. I was at the flea market the other day, I don't know why the vendor bothered to bring them. They were all decent Columbias, but every one of them were delaminated and you could see the paper under the bubbled surface, the one that weren't delaminated were broken. What a disappointment

edisonplayer wrote:I told a friend today that 78's made from shellac are more resilient than vinyl records(LP's and 45's)in a flood.I think it'd be murder on Edison Diamond Discs.Fortunately,Arthur didn't have those in Johnson City.edisonplayer

Nope. Vinyl records hold up very well to sustained immersion in water, exposure to solvents. The labels, cardboard covers are another matter.

The laminated Columbias and OKeh's held up quite well.It was worse for the non-laminated discs.Several records were warped,and I'll have to flatten then out as well as clean them.BTW;It's a good thing that Arthur didn't come down after the flood waters receded in 2011.It would've looked much worse.I remember him saying to me that he wondered how it looked after the flood.edisonplayer