AES New York 2015
Archiving and Restoration Track Event A3
Thursday, October 29, 4:45 pm — 5:45 pm (Room 1A14)
Archiving: A3 - Hard to Handle: Unstable Formats
Presenters:Matt Barton, Library of Congress
James Sam, Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford University - Stanford, CA, USA
Seth Winner, Seth B. Winner Sound Studios, Inc. - Merrick, NY, USA
Abstract:
One of the most unstable formats found in audio archives, the lacquer disc requires great expertise to properly handle. Often called an "acetate" in the vernacular, its having multiple parts and potentially a glass base leaves it ripe for various breakages. James Sam will begin will cover the discs’ composition, handling, cleaning, playback, and storage, including the presentation of a housing that was custom-designed by conservators and archivists at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution Library and Archives for the horizontal storage of cracked, broken, and/or delaminating discs. Matthew Barton will be presenting the troubles with playing back 78s. Seth B. Winner will also present the myriad unstable formats he has encountered.
