Innovators, inventors and pioneers Voices of History 2: Arts, Science and Exploration - previously unpublished, rare and historic recordings
23 September 2005 :: Posted by Catriona Finlayson
Available for sale from 28 September 2005
For the first time, the voice of the eminent Victorian scientist and founder of modern-day physics Lord Kelvin (William Thomson), best known for his work on thermodynamics, can be heard on the British Library's Voices of History 2, which features the only surviving record of his voice amongst other rare and historic recordings from the early 20th century.
This CD set, Voices of History 2 Arts, Science & Exploration, brings together some of the most important early spoken word recordings. Among other very early speakers are: Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry Irving, Henry Morton Stanley and Arthur Sullivan, who were captured by the American Colonel George E. Gouraud. He entered into an agreement with the inventor of the phonograph Thomas Edison, who is also featured on the CD, to promote the new invention outside the United States and spread the word among the great and the good of British society.
The sense of spontaneity and excitement is captured in Arthur Sullivan's recording. He accurately predicts the popularity of recorded sound as well: " .For myself, I can only say that I am astonished and somewhat terrified at the results of this evening's experiment - astonished at the wonderful power you have developed and terrified at the thought that so much hideous and bad music may be put on record forever. But all the same, I think it is the most wonderful thing that I have ever experienced and I congratulate you with all my heart on this wonderful discovery."
By the turn of the century commercial recording companies were established, and radio followed in the 1920s. These developments are reflected with recordings by Guglielmo Marconi and John Reith, founding Director General of the British Broadcasting Corporation, speaking at the launch of the BBC Empire Service. Thomas Watson, assistant to Alexander Graham Bell and the person who first spoke on the telephone, recalls the historic day he and Bell successfully tested the new technology.
As well as the unique recording by Lord Kelvin, the sciences are well represented, with extracts from radio interviews which have never been published before, such as: Sigmund Freud talking on of the birth of psychoanalysis; Ernest Rutherford on the transmutation of the atom; Albert Einstein on the first use of the atomic bomb; Alexander Fleming on penicillin; Frank Whittle on the first flight using a jet engine; and Francis Crick talking about the significance of the discovery of the structure of DNA.
What an exciting time this was. The sense of discovery and adventure is captured by the sections covering exploration and air and land records. At the start of the 20th century the North and South Poles had still to be reached, and the tomb of Tutankhamun remained undiscovered. The excitement is reflected in the number of recordings made by pioneers of aviation - Charles Lindbergh and Amy Johnson among them - revealing the public demand to hear this new class of explorers talking about their adventures. Speakers in this section include explorers Robert E. Peary and Ernest Shackleton; archaeologist Howard Carter; and Malcolm Campbell, holder of so many land and water speed records.
Thirty-eight speakers are represented in all, covering the arts, sport, air and land records, exploration, media and communications, and science. Other household names include, in the field of sport, Roger Bannister and Stanley Matthews; actresses Sarah Bernhardt and Ellen Terry; and. Giles Gilbert Scott, designer of the red telephone box and architect of the Bankside Power Station (now housing the Tate Modern), heard giving a speech at the banquet of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
All the recordings have been digitally restored, the majority from originals held by the British Library Sound Archive. The technical department at the Sound Archive has specialist staff experienced in the problems of transferring historic recordings on various carriers, including cylinders and 78rpm shellac discs, and the making of these new copies involved fresh evaluations on all aspects from playing speeds to noise reduction.
Richard Fairman, of the British Library's Scholarship and Collections department, said: "The beginning of sound recording in the late 19th century was just one aspect of a period of great innovation and discovery. Through these historic and often rare recordings we are fortunate to be able to catch a glimpse of history back into the making. The past comes alive again but I hope these 'voices of history' speak for themselves."
For further information please contact Catriona Finlayson at the British Library Press Office, 96 Euston Road, St Pancras, London NW1 2DB. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7412 7115, fax: +44 (0) 20 7412 7168, email: catriona.finlayson@bl.uk
Notes for editors
Richard Fairman is available for interview via an ISDN line.
- Voices of History 2 Catalogue number: NSACD 19-20. Price £15.95 inc VAT. ISBN 0-7123-0523-8. Published by the British Library and on sale through the British Library Bookshop, through UK bookshops, or online at: http://www.bl.uk/bookshop
- The British Library Sound Archive is one of the largest in the world. It holds over a million discs, 200,000 tapes, and many other sound and video recordings. The collections come from all over the world and cover the entire range of recorded sound - from music, drama and literature, to oral history and wildlife sounds. They range from cylinders made in the late 19th century to the latest CD, DVD and minidisc recordings. The archive holds copies of commercial recordings issued in the United Kingdom, together with selected commercial recordings from overseas, radio broadcasts and many privately-made recordings. It also offers public access to a wide range of specialist publications, books, magazines and journals covering every aspect of recorded sound.