Belfer Cylinders Digital Connection offers historic cylinder sound recordings on the WebFebruary 18, 2009Pamela McLaughlinpwmclaug@syr.edu
Syracuse University Library’s Belfer Audio Archive now offers Web access to its collection of cylinder sound recordings. Cylinders were the earliest form of commercially produced sound recordings, popular from the late 1880s through the 1920s. Belfer’s collection of 22,000 cylinders represents 12,000 unique titles and is the largest of any private institution in North America. The collection includes a wide range of performances, including orchestral, vocal, folk and dance music, as well as spoken word such as speeches, poetry and dramatic readings.
The Belfer Cylinders Digital Connection, found at http://library.syr.edu/information/belfer/cylinders, now contains about 300 items and will eventually include 6,000 cylinder recordings that have not been available on the Internet before. Recordings can be browsed by subject and genre. Search options include title, performer, composer, time period, label and others.
Recordings are provided in both MP3 and WAV formats. The WAV files are larger in size and represent the sound of the original recording as it was played. The MP3s are smaller and have had extraneous sounds removed.
The Belfer Cylinders Digital Connection project was partially funded by a grant from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation. The library welcomes additional financial contributions to support the cylinder digitization project, as well as donations of cylinders.
Currently the fourth-largest sound archive in the country, the Belfer Archive holds more than 340,000 items in a climate-controlled facility on campus. With funding provided by Diane and Arthur B. Belfer and the Jon Ben Snow Memorial Trust, the Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive was the first building in the world designed and constructed specifically for the preservation of recorded sound collections.
For more information on the Belfer Cylinders Digital Connection, contact Melinda Dermody at mdermo01@syr.edu.
We want to know how you experience Syracuse University. Take a photo and share it with us. We select photos from a variety of sources. Submit photos of your University experience using #SyracuseU on social media, fill out a submission…
Shelley Kohan, adjunct faculty member in the Whitman School, was interviewed for the VeryWell Mind story “Can Supermarket Design Really Impact What You Buy?” Kohan, a retail executive with 25 years of experience, explained that many grocery stores are following…
Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science in the Maxwell School, was quoted in the Daily Beast story “COVID Truthers Have Found a New ‘Pandemic’ to Freak Out About.” Barkun, who is an expert on extremism and conspiracy theories, explained…
JM Grygiel, associate professor of communications in the Newhouse School, was quoted in the MarketWatch article “With Elon Musk’s Twitter bid, there’s more at stake than freedom of speech: ‘It gives him a lot more influence over government.’” Grygiel, who…
Roger Koppl, professor of finance in the Whitman School, co-authored The Wall Street Journal opinion piece “Biden Establishes a Ministry of Truth.” The Department of Homeland Security recently announced the formation of the Disinformation Governance Board. The goal of the…
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
