Art Shifrin wrote:
> Hi tom,
>
> Thanks for replying quickly. FYI I did check the fabulous relatively new
> on-line Popular Science archive & found some references including ads, but
> none contained prices. There were fewer items than I arbitrarily expected.
>
You would have better luck with a REAL magazine like Tape Recording, or
Audio Engineering. Pop Sci is too generalist and is part science fiction.
> A problem with that daabase is that you have to second guess probable key
> words (as compared to conceptual or thematic). But it's fascinating to roam
> & find articles about other topics.
>
>
How about BOOKS?? You know--PAPER????? You might find that an author
has already done the work for you. Such as Phil Van Pragg in his
"Evolution of the Audio Recorder. Or Robert Morrison in "*Disk
Recording, 1930-1960: Equipment, Techniques, Recollections". *
> Do you happen to know if the NY Times' index includes advertisements?
>
No. I don't know of any traditional publication index that has ever
included advertisements. Occasionally some on-line journals like
Billboard and The Gramophone have feature ads included in search
eligibility, but it has to be a conscious effort on the part of the
poster to include the pages.
> The suggestion about Harvey Radio's catalogs is astute, I'll pursue whether
> or not others supply actual data.
>
> Can you think of other prominent dealers at that time?
Didn't you see their ads for catalogs in Pop Sci?
In addition to cabinets full of manufacturers catalogs, and occasional
Master Catalogs, I have *many* dozens of catalogs from Lafayette,
Allied, BA, Radio Shack and others which include wire, tape, and disc
recorders and supplies. I have many from exactly this time of the late
40s and early 50s. I also don't have the time to post all these right
now as I prepare my album cover ARSC presentation, but since the 1949
and 1950 Allied catalogs I recently bought are within reach, heres some
info.
In the 49 Allied catalog
Tape recorders
Magnicord PT6-A deck $262.00, amp $383.00
Brush Soundmirror BK-403 $383.00
in 1950 Brush BK0425S deck$73.50, amp BK-808 $41.16
Pentron 96-178 mechanism $63.70
Duotape KIT $44.99
Masco 375 complete portable $123.80
Magnecorder PT6-JA $499.50
Wire Recorders
Webster-Chicago 79 Foundation unit $44.10
Crescent C-1000A combo TT?& wite mechanism $49.98
Wireway 96-170 portable w dual unit $109.82
Astra-Sonic 96-185 w combo unit & AM tuner $145,50
in 1950 Webster Chicago 180 $149.50
W-C 181 $114.50
W-C 178 $107.50
Disc recorders in 1950
Presto K $348.00
Presto Y2 $741.00
Rek-O-Kut Master-Pro M-12 lathe only $89.50
TR-12 TT 89.50
T-12 TT 79.50
B-5 16" lathe $175.00
Model V TT $165.45
G-2 TT 4125.00
General Industries recording units GI-RC130L w changer $43.50
GI-R70L 78 only $24.51
GI- R90L 2 speed $28.95
Meissner 9-1065 2 speed with radio $111.28
Masco RK-5 2 speed 87.92
1950 cat tape in quan 6/36
Scotch 100 1200'paper $3.15/$2.80
111 1200 plastic $4.95/$4.40
1950 wire in quantities 1/10
Webster-Chicago
173 15 min $1.96/$1.27
174 30 min $2.94/ $1.91
175 1hr $4.90/$3.18
Echo wire 15 min 1.37/1.08
30 min 2.06/1.62
1 hr 3.43/2/49
If you will check the two books I have mentioned you will see some
selected pages, but it makes more sense to have a site with pages
posted. There is a wire recorder Yahoo email list that is starting to
post manuals and other stuff, and there have been web sites for years
which specialize in Presto and other disc recorders. All you need to
find these is Google.
Mike Biel [log in to unmask]
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