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CYL EFDSS Wax Cylinder Collection

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EFDSS Wax Cylinder Collection
EFDSS Wax Cylinder Collection (CYL)

Level
Collection
Extent
106 cylinders
Date created
1904-1919
Notes

Collection of Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, and English songs recorded onto wax cylinder. The Scottish Gaelic recordings were made by Lucy Etheldred Broadwood and by Dr. Farquhar MacRae. These recordings are mainly from 1908 and are very good quality. The Welsh recordings were made by members of the Welsh Folk-Song Society including Lady Ruth Herbert Lewis and the singer Mary Davies. These are of rather poor sound quality. Also in this part of the collection are demonstrations of animal and sheep dog calls. The English Collection is a mixture of good, reasonable and poor sound quality, made by Cecil Sharp, Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Butterworth (1885-1916) and Ella Mary Leather, among others.

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Close Edison phonograph

Wax cylinders (or phonograph cylinders) were one of the earliest commercial formats for the recording and playback of sound. Wax cylinders were used on phonograph machines, invented by Thomas Edison and his team in the late 19th century. The Folk Song Society purchased two Edison standard phonographs which they would lend out to members. Some of the recordings in this collection will have been made using these phonograph machines which are still held by the EFDSS. The provenance of some of the other cylinders, however, is unknown and may have been sent to the society for analysis.

The collection consists of a variety of Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, and English songs. The Scottish Gaelic recordings were made by Lucy Etheldred Broadwood and by Dr. Farquhar MacRae. These recordings are mainly from 1908 and are very good quality. The Welsh recordings were made by members of the Welsh Folk-Song Society including Lady Ruth Herbert Lewis and the singer Mary Davies. These are of rather poor sound quality. Also in this part of the collection are demonstrations of animal and sheep dog calls. The English Collection is a mixture of good, reasonable and poor sound quality, made by Cecil Sharp, Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Butterworth (1885-1916) and Ella Mary Leather, among others.

The original wax cylinder collection is now on long term deposit at the British Library, who made the digital transfers from the original wax cylinders.