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 The
Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress together hold the
largest collection of audio recordings documenting the American
experience. The collections include thousands of recordings from every
state and every genre of spoken word and music -- speeches, tales,
biographical narrative, poetry, blues, gospel, jazz, folk, ethnic,
country, bluegrass and old time, polka and contra, western swing and
conjunto, pow wow and sacred song -- providing a documentary aural
history of the nation from the late 19th century to the present. The two
collections combined are unsurpassed in both scope and quantity
--140,000 audio recordings but also, and quite importantly, more than
2,000,000 pages of notes and over 250,000 photographs -- the written and
photographic documentation that goes with the recordings.
The audio recordings and accompanying documentation are endangered. The primary threat is to the physical state of the audio recordings. They contain vital source information -- the original sounds of voice, instruments, song, and speech -- which, once lost, are lost forever. Hence it is important to not only copy the original recording, but to preserve it as well for future work, when the technology for audio recovery may be better than it is today. Original recordings cannot be saved if they degrade beyond recovery. Edison recordings on wire, aluminum, and in other media are damaged and need repair. There are glass and acetate masters with cracks, deformities, and scratches in need of repair. Wax cylinder recordings are currently unplayable without serious reconstruction work. Audio tapes have dried out and are crumbling. Open-reel videotapes are stuck together, their images and sounds inaccessible. Together, and with the help of experts in the field, the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress will:
The Smithsonian will publish annotated, digitally edited audio recordings, America’s Treasured Voices, as a special series on its Smithsonian Folkways label. The Library of Congress will include appropriate excerpts on its very popular American Memory Web site. Through these efforts, millions of Americans will have access to the voices of the past for their edification, education, and inspiration. Scholars and other specialists will use particular parts of the collection for more detailed historical researches and investigations. Textbook publishers and educational Web sites will make use of the sounds of American history to supplement and enrich curriculum materials. |
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