The Case:
A man in Port Washington, Wisconsin who owns a pair of metal "masters" that were used to press shellac records in the 1920s and 30s has a hunch they could represent surviving fragments of a lost moment in American musical history.
The contributor’s great uncle was the master sound engineer for one of the more peculiar recording enterprises in the United States, Paramount Records. He worked for the Wisconsin Chair Company, which, among other things, manufactured phonograph cabinets.
The company’s salesmen were savvy to the broad spectrum of musical talent at the time and established a tandem recording label, ultimately bringing some of the best blues artists from the Mississippi Delta to Wisconsin to record in the factory.
History Detectives travels to Wisconsin and New York to determine the significance of these metal masters and to explore how one company captured the regionally and culturally diverse music played around the nation in the 20s and 30s.
Related Content
Feature:
Feature:
Technique:
Technique:
Related Links
Explore
-
Related Investigation
Coney Island Lions
Could this be an artifact from the bygone days of early amusement parks?
-
Related Investigation
Coca Cola Trade Card
Could this card be a unique piece of early Coca-Cola advertising?
-
Also with Tukufu Zuberi
Liberia Letter
Does this letter help to trace one freed man’s dream to return to Africa?
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Great Mexican War Posters
Is this an advertisement for a film made by an eyewitness to the Mexican Revolution?
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Harlem Heirs
How is this ornate document connected to the earliest settlers of New York City and a potential multi-million dollar land dispute?
-
Also with Tukufu Zuberi
Slave Banjo
Is this the only surviving banjo carried by former slaves following Emancipation?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.