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With yesterday's momentous solar eclipse I dug out one of the more scarce Cal Stewart recordings from my collection on Standard Disc Record: The Eclipse Of The Sun At Pumpkin Center. I'm curious whether anyone else has this record. It's the only example I've ever found of this recording and it features a very interesting and unique monologue by Stewart regarding a solar eclipse event in his time. I'm hoping to post this recording on my YouTube channel before interest in our recent eclipse diminishes.

I have it on the Star label (record number 3703). I think it's a Columbia recording that appeared on several other labels.

The “Articles” section of the Antique Phonograph Society website has the most comprehensive set of Uncle Josh material known.

Under the “Technical Series” category, a discography of UJ material is posted.

It identifies “Eclipse of the Sun” on 7 recordings, two on cylinder and five on disc.

A401 is identified as a Columbia Doubleface and clearly the photo in the posting shows a Standard label.

Were Standard label records also known as Columbia Doubleface?

In any event, “Eclipse of the Sun” is one of the Josh recordings that does not turn-up that often. It would be nice to hear a recording of it.


406 CYL Eclipse of the Sun Busy Bee
33003 CYL Eclipse of the Sun Columbia
K 169 DISC Eclipse of the Sun Climax ( Columbia Matrix )
3376 DISC Eclipse of the Sun Columbia Singleface
A401 DISC Eclipse of the Sun Columbia Doubleface
7338K DISC Eclipse of the Sun DUPLEX ( V=Victor, C=Columbia, K=Kalamazoo )
3703 DISC Eclipse of the Sun STAR ( Columbia Matrix )

Well, I'm excited to see it up on your channel! A bit off topic, but who was fortunate to view the eclipse in its entirety?

Thanks for the comments. It's interesting to discover (per Rod's comments) that the recording was also released on cylinder. I'll try to post my Standard Disc recording of this selection on my YouTube channel soon. Thankfully, my copy is in pretty nice condition so it should be enjoyable.

Victor A wrote:A bit off topic, but who was fortunate to view the eclipse in its entirety?

Not us! We had only about a 65% effect from where we live so there was very little degradation in daylight during the peak coverage time. It must have been amazing to see for those with near 100%.

Doug

Apparently there are two Pumpkin Centers in NC and the one near me had a great view of the eclipse, just outside Charlotte, NC. Which reminds me... we should have a Pumpkin Center Uncle Josh Festival. This one was named after the Uncle Josh records became popular in the early 1900s.

If you wish to read a transcript you may do so here. I have never actually heard the recording and look forward to its posting.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xri8wlvhgsi5z ... t.pdf?dl=0

rodpickett wrote:The “Articles” section of the Antique Phonograph Society website has the most comprehensive set of Uncle Josh material known.

Under the “Technical Series” category, a discography of UJ material is posted.

It identifies “Eclipse of the Sun” on 7 recordings, two on cylinder and five on disc.

A401 is identified as a Columbia Doubleface and clearly the photo in the posting shows a Standard label.

Were Standard label records also known as Columbia Doubleface?

In any event, “Eclipse of the Sun” is one of the Josh recordings that does not turn-up that often. It would be nice to hear a recording of it.


406 CYL Eclipse of the Sun Busy Bee
33003 CYL Eclipse of the Sun Columbia
K 169 DISC Eclipse of the Sun Climax ( Columbia Matrix )
3376 DISC Eclipse of the Sun Columbia Singleface
A401 DISC Eclipse of the Sun Columbia Doubleface
7338K DISC Eclipse of the Sun DUPLEX ( V=Victor, C=Columbia, K=Kalamazoo )
3703 DISC Eclipse of the Sun STAR ( Columbia Matrix )

You can also add this title on "The Thomas Record" (also a Columbia client pressing). I've got it on that which is also the only example of a "Thomas Record" I own. If I can put my hands on it anytime soon, I'll add a photo here. It's in one of my record cabinets, but which one is a little bit of a question

Sean

Curt A wrote:Apparently there are two Pumpkin Centers in NC and the one near me had a great view of the eclipse, just outside Charlotte, NC. Which reminds me... we should have a Pumpkin Center Uncle Josh Festival. This one was named after the Uncle Josh records became popular in the early 1900s.

This is probably the eclipse he was talking about then. May 28, 1900, with the path of totality including Pumpkin Center, NC. https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsearch/ ... l=19000528

I decided to hunt-down my Columbia cylinder copy of this Cal Stewart monologue. I have never played it before. There are a couple of bad spots at the beginning and the actual recording time is 2 minutes, 29 seconds. A lot to cram on a 2 minute cylinder. Notice in this version, Stewart refers to the Eclipse of 69 (7 August 1869)

Hopefully, the disc version will be posted here too, sometime in the future.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pze0soweny105 ... n.m4a?dl=0