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
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Prison Plaque
Were convicted felons responsible for bringing peace to Western Europe during World War I?
-
Related Investigation
Creole Poems
Does this manuscript contain words of love or illegal acts of rebellion?
-
Related Investigation
Mouse Toy
Could this tiny toy labeled 'Micky' be the original Mickey Mouse?
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Jim Thorpe Ticket
Is this ticket evidence of a chapter of Thorpe's career forgotten by history: as a professional basketball player?
-
Also with Tukufu Zuberi
Lindbergh-Sikorsky Fabric
How do the signatures on this patch of fabric connect Charles Lindbergh to another first in flight?
-
Also in Season 4
Lou Gehrig Autograph
Did Lou Gehrig autograph this ticket on the day he announced his retirement?
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.