Historic Theodore Rooselvelt Cylinder the RARE one

[Homestead]

I've been in contact with Duncan Miller of Vulcan records about the possibility of making the elusive 4th Theodore Roosevelt Edison Cylinder available to collectors. In 1912 while running for President as the Progressive Party candidate, (Bull Moose Party) Roosevelt recorded 4 Wax Amberol Cylinders for Edison. Upon Teddy Roosevelt's death in 1919, the Edison company reissued 3 of these cylinders as Blue Amberols, but the forth one dealing with the Progressive Party was not reissued and remains only available in the extremely fragile 4 min. wax format and is rare indeed. With my suggesting, he is considering issuing it. Many of us collectors have the 3 set of the Blue Amberols and would love to have the 4th to make it complete. He is looking for a good clean soundtrack to use. Any ideas????? I would also personally like to know how many collectors out there would like to complete their Teddy Roosevelt sets....I'm sure I am not alone in this. Thanks for helping restore history! BULLY! James Manker

[PeterF]

Sign me up for one.

Here is a summary of all four TR speeches released on Edison cylinders:

https://www.loc.gov/collections/theodor ... lts-voice/

The one you want is “The Progressive Covenant with the People” and the reason it wasn’t reissued is because it’s a little too topical, referencing the crooked GOP convention of 1912 that put Taft into nomination and drove TR’s supporters to walk out, go down the street and hold an alternative convention to nominate him as a third party candidate.

This was the Progressive Party, essentially a vehicle for TR, and therefore sometimes known as the Bull Moose Party after one of his nicknames.

The sad result was to split the 1912 GOP vote and put the ineffectual Wilson into office, drawing out the European war and resulting in much additional loss of life. This was likely too fresh in memory for Edison to reissue something that would remind people of what might have been.

The positive result of the 1912 fracture of the GOP was that the tenets of the Progressive Party (and its “Square Deal”) were appropriated by TR’s cousin Franklin and used to revamp the moribund Democratic Party of the day into a progressive party - and create the New Deal. The remnants of the GOP, the non-progressive part, if you will - were left to the monied interests (bankers and big business) and this is how it has stayed. Or at least until the mutation that began in 2016.


But anyway, back to the potential 2024 reissue: the recording embedded on the LoC page is garbage. Here’s also one from YouTube that isn’t much better:

https://youtu.be/uG6fnjFbiPQ?si=1xReMiWD7OKGNH1W

Finally, it doesn’t look like the UCSB archive has it available. I don’t have enough time tonight to look any further.

When Norman and I did the 20th Century 3-minute cylinder with Hoagy and Bix’s Barnacle Bill The Sailor (Victor), we just pulled the cleanest version we could find on the internet.

We had to sell 10 of them to break even, and it was a tough effort to get folks to cough up the $90, so be ready for that headwind.

[Homestead]

I understand about folks having trouble coughing up the money, but the Blue Amberols TR records go for about 75 and they are out there. As my Grandpa used to say, people have fish hooks in their pockets! I will post as soon as I hear something about their being made. I am not taking orders just getting the feel of interest amongst the collectors, but I am sure it will be a sell out. James

[Homestead]

Yes I searched those sites as well and the results audibly were disappointing. If anyone has a loud, clean copy orig. digital or otherwise please contact Duncan Miller at Vulcan records. This is a recording worth saving....as if corrupt politicians....were only a thing of the past! *&^T^P(*%$##*-!!!!!!

[Charles Batchelor]

You can use mine. it's a special celluloid pressing made back in the day and is as good as it gets. it can be heard here: https://i78s.org/preview/fdb8b09b05bcd5 ... 882bc5daf1
happy to send the WAV to Duncan for this purpose. He can contact me directly.
-David Giovannoni

[Homestead]

David, wow what an excellent copy....Duncan will surely have something to go on with that one. Thank you for your selfless giving to the Library of Congress and to fellow collectors! Wishing you all the best James Manker.