Richard Hess Mullin-Palmer Tape Restoration Project Collection, 1934-2008

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Summary

Title:
Richard Hess Mullin-Palmer Tape Restoration Project Collection
Dates:
1934-2008
Creators:
Hess, Richard L., Ososke, Don, Collier, Eve Mullin, Pavek Museum of Broadcasting, Wheeler, Jim, and Hess, Richard L.
Abstract:
The Richard Hess Collection chronicles the early history of tape recording in the United States. The tapes were assembled and reformatted by engineer and researcher Richard L. Hess from 2003 to 2008. At the end of World War II, Jack Mullin recovered examples of German tape recording technology and, along with film maker Bill Palmer, approached Ampex with the idea of manufacturing audiotape and players. Entertainer Bing Crosby was an enthusiastic early adopter, and this collection is largely recordings used in the production of his radio programs. Digital files are only available at Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound.
Language:
English Latin
Preferred citation:

Richard Hess Mullin-Palmer Tape Restoration Project Collection, ARS0035. Courtesy of the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

A significant portion of this collection (Reels 1-51) are reels of audio tape which are physically held at the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound. However, the bulk of the collection consists of digital files, including transfers from those reels, as well as from tapes in several other collections not at Stanford. Prior to accession, each item (whether a physical reel or the digital file that was recorded from the tape) was assigned a reel number. There is also a series for all related documentation, including obituaries and tape transfer logs.

Biographical / historical:

The Richard Hess Mullin-Palmer Tape Restoration Project Collection chronicles the widespread dissemination of one of the most important advances in sound recording technology: magnetic recording on tape. In 1945, a U.S. Army Signal Corp soldier named John T. "Jack" Mullin was assigned to recover examples of the latest German technology from the field. In a radio station, Mullin confirmed that the Germans had developed a system of sound recording and reproduction using paper and plastic tape. He returned to the United States with several reels of audio tape and two AEG Magnetophon brand reel-to-reel machines on which to play them. This was not the first time that this country was introduced to the technology (in fact, research was published widely in the 30s), but Mullin's initiative, along with the enterprise of filmmaker Bill Palmer, was essentially the avenue by which tape manufacturing began in the United States.

The story of Bing Crosby's involvement is familiar. In the late 1940s, Crosby hosted one of the most popular programs on radio: Philco Radio Time. Mullin and Palmer worked with Crosby to develop a tape machine. Harold Lindsay had attended a demonstration of the magnetophone at the May 16, 1946 meeting of the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE, now IEEE) in San Francisco and along with Alexander M. Poniatoff, the founder of Ampex, sought out Mullin and Palmer for advice on developing a machine at Ampex. Ampex proceeded to develop its first model of tape recorder, the 200A, in 1947 (other companies, among them Brush, Rangertone, Orradio, and Presto, were also experimenting with magnetic recording with some success).

The adoption of Tape provided an ease of editing that appealed to Crosby and his producers, and allowed for more creativity in assembling programs. It was also judged in many trials to offer improved fidelity compared to disc and optical film. Because of the risk of tape failing during a live broadcast, shows were still aired from transcription discs; it was the recording and editing that was done with tape. The first program recorded on tape was broadcast October 1st, 1947, the start of the 1947-1948 season. The recordings in this collection consist largely of material used for the Philco program, including performances, outtakes, and advertisements. Among the other stars to be heard on the programs are Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Burl Ives, and Claudette Colbert.

The Richard Hess Collection is named for recording historian and audio engineer Richard L. Hess who assembled these tapes, transferred them, and provided detailed notes on both the content and its capture. Between 2001 and 2008, Hess drew from both public and private collections to construct a digital representation of the early days of magnetic recording in the United States.

Processing information:

A portion of this project was funded by a grant from the GRAMMY Foundation.

Arrangement:

This collection is divided into five series. The first four are grouped according to their original donor, and Series 5 assembles most of the textual information concerning the collection.

Physical location:
Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound Stanford University Libraries Stanford, California 94305-3076
Physical description:

6 boxes : approx. 110 digital files ; 54 open reel tapes; 2 boxes of reels and packaging

Six boxes of audiotape are held by the Archive of Recorded Sound. The remainder of the collection is digital.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research; material must be requested at least two business days in advance of intended use. Contact the Archive for assistance.

Terms of access:

Property rights reside with repository. Literary rights reside with creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, contact the Head Librarian of the Archive of Recorded Sound.

Preferred citation:

Richard Hess Mullin-Palmer Tape Restoration Project Collection, ARS0035. Courtesy of the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:
Braun Music Center, 541 Lasuen Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-3076, US
Contact:
(650) 723-9312
soundarchive@stanford.edu
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