Re: [ARSCLIST] Scopes Trial Sound Recordings

["Michael Biel m.biel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <m-biel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Bob Conrad" <bob618@xxxxxxxxx> 
> >I have a number of Jim Jordan radio broadcasts from 1929 Chicago, station 
> >WENT 

I assume you mean WENR unless the recordings spoof a fake radio station.

> ("Mike and Herman")It is just a hunch, but I have always thought these were
> >made as auditions, to be sent to far off radio stations in the hopes of 
> >signing them up in some sort of syndication or affiliate deal.

This is possible since Chicago was where the business of syndicating recordings
of programs was invented with "Amos 'n' Andy" in March 1928 and The National
Radio Advertising Co's Maytag drama series in December 1928.  But Jim Jordan
was probably doing "The Smackouts" on WMAQ by 1929, and the names Mike and
Herman sound like those used in "Louie's Hungry Five" which was syndicated by
The Chicago Tribune in 1930, and it is known that Jim Jordan had nothing to do
with that series.

> > and all of them are on uncoated aluminum, some 
> > are 7", others are 5" and all play at 78rpm. 
> > So the technology did exist, 
> > at least in 1929.  Bob Conrad    Fort Lee, NJ

>From Steven Smolian <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>:
> Any idea of the specific date?  The uncoated aluminums were in use one side 
> or the other of 1930, but were mostly a "bureau" operation, as far as I can 
> tell, until home recording units became available as well.  Typically, there
> were booths in music and department stores.  

The first known Speak-O-Phone installation was in a St. Louis dept. store
around
Thanksgiving 1928.  They did not make machines available to individuals except
for one supplied to Cabel Greet of Columbia University who used it to record
Vachel Lindsey.  Other companies had machines for embossing aluminum on the
market by 1930.  

> As to those who recorded 
> off-the-air on a speculative basis and made dubs on demand, one service I 
> know of began c. 1934.  There may have been others.  I understand these 
> recording outfits were listed in the yellow pages of the cities in which 
> they operated.    Steve Smolian

There were many recording studios in business making air-checks by the end of
1930, especially in Chicago.  

> > Steven Smolian wrote:
> >
> >> I remember reading that the trial of a navl enlisted man for rape in 
> >> Hawaii (there was a PBS bcst on it recently) had Darrow's jury summation 
> >> broadcast back to the mainland.

What does this have to do with the 1925 Scopes trial?

> >> It could have been recorded either by Ediphone dictating machine or, just
> >> possibly, by RCA paper discs for use with the Electrola radio and 
> >> recorder. I've seen but do not own some dated late in 1929.
> >> Steve Smolian

They weren't paper, they were celluloid on paper for the 5-inch discs and vinyl
for the 10 and 12-inch.  The first machine was the Radiola 86 which was
released in Sept 1929.

From: <Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx>

> >>> kmccormi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> >>> The trial was the first live radio broadcast from a trial but there was
> >>> no recording made.

> >>> William Jennings Bryan did record a number of other
> >>> speeches some of which are available online at
> >>> <http://www.historicalvoices.org/earliest_voices/bryan.html> from the
> >>> Vincent Voice Library (although none appear directly related to Scopes).

It would have been difficult for Bryan to record anything related to the Scopes
trial since he died several days after the end of the trial.  All the
recordings he did make were Edison cylinders and Gennett discs.

> >>> This information is helpful. The people putting on the play somehow 
> >>> thought
> >>> that they should incorporate a wire recorder into the set. While we 
> >>> could have
> >>> loaned them a Telegraphone, it is just as well that they don't need it.

There was a WGN carbon microphone in the courtroom and that was it.  Why would
anyone have considered having a recording machine in the courtroom since it is
well known that this did not happen.

> >>> That time period must have been a null in extemporaneous sound 
> >>> recordings.

There are quite a few broadcasts that were recorded between 1923 and 1930.  But
not the Scopes trial.  People have been looking for them for decades.

Michael Biel   mbiel@xxxxxxx




> >>> Wax cylinders were out of the picture and instantaneous discs had not 
> >>> been well
> >>> developed.
> >>>
> >>> I remember reading in a contemporary early 20's magazine about a project
> 
> >>> to
> >>> archive radio broadcasts on Telegraphone wires. I wonder if anything 
> >>> ever came
> >>> of that.
> >>>
> >>> Mike Csontos
> >>>


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