Thanks, Vergil. I'd found a number of historic sources, but missed this one
- and its one of the better ones!

Robert

At 3/24/2005 12:29 PM, you wrote:
>Info on Edison disc system, including disc composition
>
>http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/eddschst.html
>
>
>
>
>
>                       Pbmorgan
>                       <[log in to unmask]        To:       [log in to unmask]
>                       COM>                     cc:       (bcc: Vergil
> Noble/MWAC/NPS)
>                       Sent by:                 Subject:  Re: Conservation
> of Phonograph Records
>                       HISTORICAL
>                       ARCHAEOLOGY
>                       <[log in to unmask]
>                       >
>
>
>                       03/24/2005 11:34
>                       AM PST
>                       Please respond to
>                       mblanchard
>
>
>
>
>
>Hey Robert:
>    As you probably know, the Edison Diamond records were produced between
>1912 and 1929 and they were a unique system.  I looked around and couldn't
>find any specific information on what the records were made of but you
>might
>do the standard tests for gutta percha, India rubber, vulcanite, and
>bakelite
>(I'm betting on Inda rubber but its just a hunch based on the date of
>manufacture).  This would let you know what you are dealing with and you
>could tailor your approach to the material.  As for long term preservation
>I
>would think that a gentle cleaning in water followed by controlled drying
>process (hard here in Reno)would be the course to follow.  Just my
>thoughts.
>
>
>Morgan Blanchard
>Department of Anthropology
>University of Nevada, Reno
>
>_____________________________________________________________
>Great Basin Internet Services Webmail (http://greatbasin.net)
>
>
>---------- Original Message -----------
>From: Robert Leavitt <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Sent: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 08:03:09 -0800
>Subject: Conservation of Phonograph Records
>
> > Hi all:
> >
> > We've just recovered five Edison Diamond phonograph records from a
> > site in Reno, Nevada. They're dirty, cracked, and wet. Anybody have
> > an idea about stabilizing them until we can contact a
> > conservationist? Right now they're in a bag in a refrigerator,
> > trying to reproduce the conditions in which they were found.
> >
> > Robert C. Leavitt
>------- End of Original Message -------