The Golden Age Of Vinyl

BETHEL — The 1954 recording of the De Castro Sisters’ “Teach Me Tonight” highlights an entertaining and educational stroll down memory lane at Bethel Public Library, where an exhibition on music’s golden age of vinyl will play from June 26 through July 6 only.

The exhibition, in the library’s lobby area, was organized by Robert Frazer, a board member of the Friends of the Bethel Public Library.

“The first commercially viable medium was the wax-coated brass cylinder,” says Mr Frazer. “No method existed in the late 1800s to reproduce cylinders. Each was an original. It was the invention of the flat disc that allowed mass production.”

The Columbia Graphophone Company and Victor Talking Machine Company were formed, and records were off and running – mostly heard by the public at fairgrounds and penny arcades as acoustic jukeboxes. The 1906 introduction of the Victrolas brought music reproduction into the home.

Folks think of records as black discs, but on display are red, white, blue and green records; floppy records; and records covered with dramatic art. Also on display are records of various sizes, speeds and shapes.

“We hope this exhibit increases people’s appreciation of the many technological and artistic innovations that occurred during the history of musical recordings,” says Mr Frazer.

“We also wish to build awareness of the Friends’ upcoming sale in Bethel’s Municipal Center on July 8 and 9, at which time we will be offering a superb selection of records of various genres — from the classics and original cast recordings of Broadway shows to rock and jazz. The hundreds of records have been carefully categorized so that buyers can more easily find items that interest them.”

Bethel Public Library is at 189 Greenwood Avenue. Call 794-8756 for additional information.