The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Looks like some Important Early Victor Documents are coming up for sale in the next Donley Auction!

Curious and valuable documents from the war era between Victor, Frank Seaman, etc .. poor Berliner was left out of the game for his own invention...

I wonder if these are from the Hazelcorn estate?

they are from the Larry Schlick collection.

Thank you for pointing out these great documents. The April 2, 1901 letter from Leon F. Douglass to the trade is unintentionally amusing if you skip a passage. I quote:

A good plain English name is good enough without borrowing from dead languages ... so we call it the "VICTOR".

It would be great to see all of these documents donated to the Johnson Victrola Museum or another worthy institution.

Garret

Garret wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 1:16 pm It would be great to see all of these documents donated to the Johnson Victrola Museum or another worthy institution.

Garret

Yea well that sounds nice but what happens is those institutions generally file pieces like this away and they are only available to “scholars” (i.e. you better have a PhD), never to see the light of day again of people who really understand and appreciate them.

cmshapiro wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 6:40 pm

Garret wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 1:16 pm It would be great to see all of these documents donated to the Johnson Victrola Museum or another worthy institution.

Garret

Yea well that sounds nice but what happens is those institutions generally file pieces like this away and they are only available to “scholars” (i.e. you better have a PhD), never to see the light of day again of people who really understand and appreciate them.

But let's not forget that reputable museums take extraordinary care to preserve documents such as this. Certainly much more than the "average Joe". It is, after all, considered ephemera.

Steve

cmshapiro wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 6:40 pm

Garret wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 1:16 pm It would be great to see all of these documents donated to the Johnson Victrola Museum or another worthy institution.

Garret

Yea well that sounds nice but what happens is those institutions generally file pieces like this away and they are only available to “scholars” (i.e. you better have a PhD), never to see the light of day again of people who really understand and appreciate them.

I respectfully disagree. I had a study card from the Library of Congress to do research for a class project when I was in high school.

Garret

cmshapiro wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 6:40 pm

Garret wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 1:16 pm It would be great to see all of these documents donated to the Johnson Victrola Museum or another worthy institution.

Garret

Yea well that sounds nice but what happens is those institutions generally file pieces like this away and they are only available to “scholars” (i.e. you better have a PhD), never to see the light of day again of people who really understand and appreciate them.

Don't you think they've been filed away, unknown to almost all, for the past few decades while in the hands of one who understood and appreciated them? Who would put these on "display", with an open invitation for any and all to view and handle them at will?