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CITRIS Research Exchange: Imaging the Voices of the Past: Using Optics to Restore Sound Recordings
- October 18, 2006: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
- Contact: Yvette Subramanian
- Location: 290 Hearst Memorial Mining Building, the Maria & Dado Banatao Conference Room, UC Berkeley
by Carl Haber,
Senior Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18 in 290
HMMB, UC Berkeley
Part of the CITRIS Research Exchange at UC Berkeley. The complete schedule for the fall semester is online at RE-fall2006.
Abstract:
Sound was first recorded and reproduced by Thomas Edison in 1877. Until about 1950, when magnetic tape use became common, most recordings were made on mechanical media, such as wax, foil, shellac, lacquer, and plastic. Some of these older recordings contain material of great historical value or interest but are damaged, decaying, or now considered too delicate to play.
Sound was first recorded and reproduced by Thomas Edison in 1877. Until about 1950, when magnetic tape use became common, most recordings were made on mechanical media, such as wax, foil, shellac, lacquer, and plastic. Some of these older recordings contain material of great historical value or interest but are damaged, decaying, or now considered too delicate to play.
This talk will begin with a discussion of the history and technical basis
of sound recording and the issues faced by archives and libraries as they strive
to preserve, and create greater access to, these valuable materials. Recently,
a series of techniques, based upon optical metrology and image analysis, have
been applied to restoring historical sound recordings. Preservation studies on
discs, cylinders, and dictation belts, and a project, with the Library of
Congress, to develop an imaging workstation for disc media access will be
described.
T
hese topics, and prospects for the future, will be illustrated with
sounds and images.
hese topics, and prospects for the future, will be illustrated with
sounds and images.
Additional information can be found at http://www-cdf.lbl.gov/~av
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Last Updated: March 21, 2008 - 11:22am