Please note that this is the entry point to the entire recorded database, NOT the restored titles now available for download. To view the restored titles, please go here
This Database
contains listing for over 1000 records I own, and have digitally
recorded. Additional titles have been recorded from other
collections and number over 1700 titles recorded with the Western
Electric 4A. The recording format is monaural, 16bit, 44Khz,
which is the same as CD, but only with one channel.
Many of these
discs are before 1910, including Berliner Gramophone records from
the 1890's!
Some of these gems may be heard on the Audio page.
If you would
like to download the entire database (233k), in tab delimited
text format, click here.
If you would like to download the entire database (85k), in Zip
format, click here.
Please note that database numbers below 2000 were recorded with a modern Pickering magnetic cartridge, and are now considered to be of inferior quality to the Western Electric 4A. Listings below 2000 are being maintained to indicate the existence of this record in the collection, and may very well have been re-recorded by the better method.
Below is an explanation of the fields you will see reported in your search results:
| Library Index | The Master index of this database. Please use this number when communicating to me about an individual recording |
| Label | Manufacturer, vic=Victor Talking Machine, col=Columbia, zon= Zonophone, ber= Berliner Gramophone, utm= Universal Talking Machine, ame= American Records, gen= Gennett, sym= Symphony, oxf= Oxford, sil= Silvertone (Sears) |
| Title | The Recording Title |
| Artist | The Principal Performers on the Recording |
| Subject | The General Subject of the Recording |
| Composer | The Author of the Music or Performance |
| Catalog Number | The Manufacturer's Catalog Number at the Time of Issue |
| Secondary Catalog Number | For Victor, This is the Original Catalog Issue Number, If it Was Observed on the Record. Usually this indicates that this issue was recorded much earlier. Victor Matrix numbers may also be listed here. For Columbia, this will be the earlier, single sided issue number or along with other labels, this field may contain other numbers which are visible in the record's surface |
| Other | For Victor, this will usually be the take number. For other labels, it could be a dump site for other numbered information |
| Condition | The Recording's Condition. This range from (worst) 1 to 5 (best) (discontinued) |
| Issue Date | An approximate manufacturing date if only a year is given. BUT, if an actual month, day, year is shown, this will be the actual recording date! |
| Notes | Other relevant information about this record |