American Memory:  Technical summary

Nation's Forum Sound Recordings, 1918-1920
Image: Sample Montage

URL http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/nfhome.html

Collection Overview

Description
Sound recordings of speeches by American leaders at the turn of the century. The speeches focus on issues and events surrounding the First World War and the subsequent presidential election of 1920. There are 31 speakers represented, including Warren G. Harding, James Cox, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Samuel Gompers, Henry Cabot Lodge, and John J. Pershing. Speeches range from one to five minutes; most about four.
Source collection
Nation's Forum Collection, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division
LCCN 96-703617 [Link to catalog record (z39.50 query) will not work when main cataloging system is not available.] .
Technical features
Audio transferred from twelve-inch 78 rpm records or copies thereof. Collection includes transcriptions for all speeches, images of labels for about nineteen examples transferred from published discs, and portrait photos for 30 of the speakers.
Original material formats
Number of original items
59
Status of collection
Available online as of November 1997.
Public access
The Library will identify the known owners of rights associated with items in this collection. The content of this collection may be protected by federal and/or state statutes and further reproduction and distribution may be restricted by copyright or neighboring-rights laws of other nations, by privacy and/or publicity rights. See notes on rights and restrictions provided by the Library to users of this collection.

Aids to intellectual access

Type & granularity
MARC bibliographic records. Each bib. record describes a single item. Single item may be represented by three audio files (versions), text transcription, and images of record labels and portraits of the speaker.
Sample bibliographic display in American Memory.
Linking to digital reproductions
Bibliographic record contains numeric identifier (in local MARC field 938) which maps to filenames for all associated files. Records have not yet been upgraded to use field 856 to link to associated digital content.

Digital reproductions

Total file-space for digital reproductions: 310 Mbytes

Audio Service audio Service audio Service audio Text transcription
Marker Filename extensions ".ram" and ".ra" Filename extension ".wav" Filename extension ".au" Filename extension ".txt"
Formats RealAudio WAVE AU ASCII
Sample rate n/a 11.025 kHz 11.025 kHz n/a
Word length n/a 8 bit 8 bit n/a
Channels mono mono mono n/a
Modem setting 14.4 Kbps n/a n/a n/a
File size 200-600 Kbytes (.ra)
1 Kbyte (.ram)		 2-6 Mbytes 1-3 Mbytes 2-4 Kbytes
Quantity 59 59 59 59
Sample Sample RealAudio Sample WAV Sample AU Sample transcription

Related images Service image (label) Thumbnail
(label)		 Service image (portrait) Thumbnail
(portrait)
Marker Filename ending & extension "l.jpg" Filename ending & extension "l.gif" Filename ending & extension "p.jpg" Filename ending & extension "p.gif"
Formats JPEG GIF JPEG GIF
Tonal resolution (grayscale) less than 8 bits less than 8 bits less than 8 bits less than 8 bits
Spatial resolution (approx.) 500x500 pixels 150x150 pixels 640x500 pixels 150x200 pixels
File size 15-25 Kbytes 4-5 Kbytes 12-50 Kbytes 3-8 Kbytes
Quantity 59 59 59 59
Sample Sample service label Sample thumbnail label Sample service portrait Sample thumbnail portrait

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Technical notes: [Documents] [Images] [Maps] [Sound recordings] [Motion pictures]