The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Apparently, Google has pulled the plug on one of it's most useful tools for scholars and historians-- http://www.genealogyintime.com/NewsStor ... chive.html

I've often used the news archive search page to find ads displaying some of the more interesting and less well known brands of talking machines and phonographs people have asked about--and have posted that information on this forum numerous times.

It's still possible to use the regular Google news search page to find historic articles and ads, but as noted, it's really more of a back door approach, is not as functional, and how long it will be available is anybody's guess.

I checked out the site provided by the Library of Congress. While useful, it cuts off at 1922--not much good to someone like myself who is most interested in the "Orthophonic era" machines.

Hopefully, people will raise enough stink about this that Google will re-think its decision. (Then again, knowing Google's "We Know What's Best For You" attitude, I'm not really all that hopeful.)

OF

Publishers and 'owners' of old information insist upon hoarding it until or unless they can sell it. Purely the need for greed, apparently also the case with most libraries and archives. They want to keep everything locked-up in their vaults until they can cash-in. Local historical society as a case in point: They have over 200,000 photos of Buffalo and area, going back to the start of photography. Their building, which is rent-free AND built in a public park, costs them nothing. Everything they have was donated. Yet, when I went there (and I am a dues-paying member) to find images of our biggest cemetery for a restoration project, they demanded $50 per print. When I suggested that I could bring my own scanner and make digital copies, AND give them copies for their own use, I was dismissed as if I'd proposed to burn the place down.

Always save every item of interest you find on the 'Net - it can disappear at any time. My files passed the million mark about 2 years ago. (I have every Edison image from the Rutgers site, for instance - more than 150,000. Contact me about sharing, but I know NOTHING! hehe )

Edisone wrote:Publishers and 'owners' of old information insist upon hoarding it until or unless they can sell it. Purely the need for greed, apparently also the case with most libraries and archives. They want to keep everything locked-up in their vaults until they can cash-in. Local historical society as a case in point: They have over 200,000 photos of Buffalo and area, going back to the start of photography. Their building, which is rent-free AND built in a public park, costs them nothing. Everything they have was donated. Yet, when I went there (and I am a dues-paying member) to find images of our biggest cemetery for a restoration project, they demanded $50 per print. When I suggested that I could bring my own scanner and make digital copies, AND give them copies for their own use, I was dismissed as if I'd proposed to burn the place down.

Always save every item of interest you find on the 'Net - it can disappear at any time. My files passed the million mark about 2 years ago. (I have every Edison image from the Rutgers site, for instance - more than 150,000. Contact me about sharing, but I know NOTHING! hehe )

I don't know the specific situation in Buffalo, but local historical societies and archives are often far less wealthy than they appear, often running on a pittance, and I know something of what I speak as I work in a museum. Archival supplies are tremendously expensive- a typical acid free storage box costs $16.00 and we use a lot of them, plus yards of acid free tissue to wrap artifacts.