Wire recordings of Japanese performers in Sacramento, California, ca. 1950

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Summary

Abstract:
Twelve wire recordings and corresponding digitized copies that contain portions of a variety of live concerts performed by Japanese and Japanese American musicians on tour in Sacramento, California in and around the year 1950. The recordings capture portions of small concerts performed by unidentified musicians, as well as live concerts of well known Japanese performers of the era, including Hibari Misora, Hamako Watanabe, Yoshiko Otaka (Shirley Yamaguchi), Ryoichi Hattori, Tomiko Hattori, Shizuko Kasagi, and Kawada Haruhisa.
Extent:
0.5 linear ft. (1 document box)
Language:
and Japanese and English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Wire recordings of Japanese performers in Sacramento, California (Collection 2120). Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.

Background

Scope and content:

Twelve original wire recordings dated circa 1950, and corresponding digitized .WAV and .MP3 formatted audio files of the wire recordings. The recordings contain portions of a number of small concerts performed by unidentified musicians, as well as live concerts of well known Japanese performers of the era,including Hibari Misora, Hamako Watanabe, Yoshiko Otaka (Shirley Yamaguchi), Ryoichi Hattori, Tomiko Hattori, Shizuko Kasagi, and Kawada Haruhisa. Other Japanese and perhaps Japanese-American entertainers have not been identified, nor have the exact recording locations. For description purposes, each wire is assigned a number. All wire recordings are unique except for Wire Three and Wire Four, which are two copies of a Hibari Misora and Kawada Haruhisa concert. Sound quality varies from reel to reel, and many of the recordings are incomplete versions of the original concerts.

Biographical / historical:

In 1950, Japanese musicians were permitted to travel overseas and perform in the United States for the first time since the end of World War II. Many artists traveled across the United States on concert tours that year, and were greeted by Japanese-American fans in cities including Honolulu, Chicago, Los Angeles and Sacramento. The Wire Recordings of Japanese Performers in Sacramento, California capture a variety of these significant postwar concerts performed in the city during and around the year 1950. The earliest known provenance of the recordings is their purchase from a Sacramento antique market. Subsequently, the recordings were sold on eBay and purchased by the donor in August and September of 2008. The recordings were digitized into .WAV and .MP3 formats by the donor, who gifted both the analog and digital versions to UCLA Library Special Collections in November 2012.

Acquisition information:
Recordings were purchased by the donor, Dieter Hollander, on eBay in August and September of 2008. The materials were then digitized into .WAV and .MP3 formats and donated in November 2012.
Processing information:

Processed by Gloria Gonzalez with assistance from Kelley Bachli, November 2012.

Arrangement:

Materials are arranged in the original order established by the donor. For description purposes, each wire is identified with a number. To expedite user access, the collection was minimally described.

Physical / technical requirements:

COLLECTION CONTAINS DIGITAL MATERIALS: Special equipment or further processing may be required for viewing. To access digital materials you must notify the reference desk in advance of your visit.

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: a Content Standard.

Indexed terms

Subjects:
wire recordings.

Access and use

Restrictions:

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Wire recordings of Japanese performers in Sacramento, California (Collection 2120). Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website