After catching the bug of collecting unusual oddities, you will gain the Eye, and inevitably come across a legitimate treasure. Not an earth shattering one necessarily but something that tells a more satisfyingly complete story than usual, and makes you relieved it wasnāt lost to timeā¦.and wonder why it isnāt at least in a local museum.Ā
During my probably unhealthy phase of buying ameteur recordings on eBay and then filing them away, I found this lot. It consisted of an aluminum record, and your typical amateur record faire of the time, a recording of some kidās christmas pageant from 1951. Alone this would be interesting but I already have one of these and the aluminum record caught my eye.
Aluminum records, particularly the Speak-O-Phone brand typically date from the 20ās and 30ās and were one of the few options available for the general public to hear themselves on their phonograph. With bamboo needles only of course as the steel needles would destroy your record.Ā
But this was not a Speak-O-Phone, this was a Walter C. Garwick, Rye NY record. Looking up this name revealed quite a bit. Walter C. Garwick was a recording engineer who built his own record recorders and recorded primarily for experts in the ethnomusicology field throughout the 30ās. He provided recording service for the America Dialect Society and ethnomusicologist Laura Boulton and designed a record lathe for the Library of Congress. His recordings are mostly held by the Library of Congress and Columbia University and at least a few more in private hands according to one worthpoint post. Hereās a good dive into Mr. Garwickās life.
Walter C Garwick in 1945 holding a baby.
source: Christine Whittaker
I knew this had to be one of those so naturally I got it. I didnāt originally notice it but when it arrived I saw that the record sleeve has a note scrawled on it, providing more clues.
āThe Little Half-Chick told by (a name starting with Cl) P. Cope.ā
Below thereās a trail of multiple arrows leading the way to the reminder āPlay this record with fiber needles only.ā Whoever recorded this probably had a frustrating history of people ruining his records with their steel needles and needed MULTIPLE arrows for emphasis. This has got to be the real thing.
The recording features a woman, Ms. Cope, narrating the Little Half-Chick, the Spanish folktale of a flat chicken and how it became the weathervane.Ā
The recording is noisy but her voice comes in very clearly in places. Towards the end a man, possibly a researcher or Mr. Garwick himself, asks āWho is telling this story?ā which she responses with an unintelligible first name with her last name, Cope. The man then asks āMs. Cope, what are you doingā¦ā and then becomes unintelligible.
My next steps from here are to figure out whether the manās voice appears in other Garwick recordings and what Ms. Copeās first name is. I canāt hear what she says and I canāt read the handwriting.
(I was part of the last 3rd grade that learned cursive before my school district splurged and gave us all iPads that everyone broke one week in.)Ā
I could also look into whether physical documentation exists that this recording was made. This is easily my greatest find. Not only is it likely from the 30ās but it can be tied down to a name, and if Iām lucky, a date. I want to ensure its story gets told.Ā
My time with it is probably temporary and as I poke further, I will likely end up donating it somewhere, perhaps joining its brethren at the Library of Congress, a family, or Columbia University.Ā
Here is my recording of both sides on the top of the post. I heeded the warning by using a fiber needle and recorded it with my 1914 Victrola and an iPhone in the horn.Ā
