You mention books for the blind, but I see that you're in London, so have you looked into the Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped: http://www.loc.gov/nls? I don’t know what they may still have in print from the pre-1950 period, but I believe they have an archive and they did quite a few books in that era, sometimes with original authors reading--though I understand that sometimes this meant that the author recorded an introduction, but a professional actor did the rest. it would be worth contacting them, if you haven't already.


Matthew Barton
Library of Congress



-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Smolian
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 8:47 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Talking Books pre-1952

ARSC member (founding?) Helen Roach published a discography of such spoken word records- it could use updating and reorganization. Brian Rust published one of documentary recordings. Robert O'Brien is in the closing stages of a Shakespearian discography. Various segments have appeared in the British Institute of Recorded Sound bulletins and journals over the years.

In my opinion, this could use a drawing together in such way that it allows monitored input. I doubt there is a need for it to be a book but would be a useful on-line resource.

Steve Smolian

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Fine
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 8:22 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Talking Books pre-1952

There was a lot of poetry recorded in the 78 era. Library of Congress and Harvard University each made a series of recordings of poets reading their works. There were also multi-disk albums released by Columbia and perhaps Victor of poetry. I have a Decca 12" album of "A Man Without A Country" (I might be remembering that title incorrectly -- the records are elsewhere right now). Also presidential speeches were commercially released, particularly FDR's "Day of Infamy" address to Congress on Victor Records.

Etc. etc.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message -----
From: "Matthew Rubery" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 8:04 AM
Subject: [ARSCLIST] Talking Books pre-1952


> Hello, I’m looking for information about talking book records made before
> 1952. I’ve done some work with books recorded for blind people, radio
> broadcasts of Orson Welles, and Dickens recitations. Any other suggestions
> would be welcome.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Matt
>
> Dr Matthew Rubery
> School of English and Drama
> Queen Mary University of London
>
> Web: http://www.sed.qmul.ac.uk/staff/ruberym.html
>
>