#lathecut

Ekaterina Bazhenova Yamasaki - Time Stretching Properties.

7” Lathe / postcards

A Recording of a Lady

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 wasn’t lost to time….and wonder why it isn’t at least in a local museum. 

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 kid’s 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 20’s and 30’s 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. 

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 30’s. 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. Here’s a good dive into Mr. Garwick’s 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 didn’t originally notice it but when it arrived I saw that the record sleeve has a note scrawled on it, providing more clues.

“The Little Half-Chick told by (a name starting with Cl) P. Cope.”

Below there’s a trail of multiple arrows leading the way to the reminder “Play this record with fiber needles only.” 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. 

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 “Who is telling this story?” which she responses with an unintelligible first name with her last name, Cope. The man then asks “Ms. Cope, what are you doing…” and then becomes unintelligible.

My next steps from here are to figure out whether the man‘s voice appears in other Garwick recordings and what Ms. Cope’s first name is. I can’t hear what she says and I can’t 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.) 

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 30’s but it can be tied down to a name, and if I’m lucky, a date. I want to ensure its story gets told. 

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. 

THE SESS:

THE QUEEN IS ACTUALLY DEAD

Three sided single is

STYROFOAM RECORDS number one!

Two records, a zine, a sticker, a patch and a button.

Edition of 100, but at this time we only have 50 copies.

The band will have 25 and the label will 25 of the records.

Mark your calendars!

¾ of the Sess will be performing live for their record release party at Burning Beard Brewing Company on March 11, 2023.

This will be a day long event from 12PM-6PM.

The records will be available for sale AT THIS EVENT.

****Styrofoam Records will not be taking pre-orders due to limited quantity.***

These are hand carved lathe-cut records, and as many of the other components as we could are either hand made or at least home made.

ADDITIONALLY- this is also the release date of the split zine by Katherine Brannock and McHank.

To call this a zine is a misnomer.

It is made at home, one at a time, but it is as thicc as peanut butter. High quality Epson ink print on the okayest paper you can buy at an OfficeMax type of place.

Katherine Brannock’s side is called The Supernatural Enthusiast Discloses

PSARC IDEAL

Volume One

and McHank’s side is called Perpetually Twelve issue 20.

If that wasn’t enough!

Eve Oliviae is a selectively chosen designer women’s boutique using sustainable materials and they will have a full set up their awesome products! ———

We are all Southern California creators and we all appreciate your support!

First official Danielle Dax single release in 26 years! 'Invictus Arduis' has been released by a small label Heaven's Lathe in a strictly limited amount of 100 copies on 7" clear lathe-cut vinyl. It has sold out in under two minutes.

Single contains 'Cutting The Last Sheaf/Born To Be Bad' (side A) and 'Whistling For His Love' (side B).