2023:Program/Poster sessions/QJZVPE-Wax cilinders in València
Title: Wax cilinders in València
Speakers:
Francesc Fort
Mainly editing in Catalan Wikipedia
Room: Expo Space
Start time: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 18:32:00 +0800
End time: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 18:34:00 +0800
Type: Poster session
Track: No (pretalx) track id specified
Submission state: confirmed
Duration: 2 minutes
Do not record: false
Presentation language: es
Abstract & description
[edit source]Abstract
[edit source]Poster Category: GLAM, Heritage, and Culture Session Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in Singapore
This poster will introduce the Wikimedia projects done in partnership with Museo de Historia de la Telecomunicación Vicente Miralles Segarra, in València, where a collection of music records on wax cylinders of the 1900’s of Spanish folk and popular music has been released in Wikimedia Commons. Many of these records are inedited since they are the first recording made of such music. Flamenco, zarzuela, couplets and other popular styles of XIX and XX centuries were recorded by professional and amateur singers.
Description
[edit source]The collection contains near 60 different wax cylinder recordings of Spanish folk and popular music from the 1900s. The phonograph (developed in 1870) was the first device used to record and reproduce audio. The support used were wax cylinders, where a mechanical recording of sound in grooves could be later reproduced. Wax is a material that degrades very easily, and with each reproduction the recording is destroyed, so, although they were very popular, few records have survived to this day.
The Museum of Telecommunications of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) received in 2016 a collection of 61 recordings on wax cylinders together with a phonograph, provided that they were digitally preserved. The project was approached in a multidisciplinary way, by specialists in conservation and telecommunications. The objectives were the restoration of the phonograph, the preventive and curative conservation of the collection of wax cylinders, the digitalization and restoration of sound records, the cataloging and dissemination of the collection and the exhibition in the Museum.
The work is framed in the context of the preservation of technological heritage, but also, and equally relevant, intangible. Sound records are a very important source for learning about the intangible culture of a community and have been, since their appearance, a way of preserving it. The recordings contain pieces of Spanish folk and popular music from the 1900’s. The genres covered are very varied: flamenco, zarzuela, couplets, band music, children’s songs, etc. recorded by professional singers (such as the flamenco singers El Mochuelo and La Rubia) and amateurs. The state of conservation of the cylinders was very poor in some cases, so the quality of the rescued musical records, even after a digital restoration process, is not optimal. Nevertheless, the mere existence of the said recordings and the fact that they have been preserved to this day it is almost a miracle.
Since late 2021, a Wikimedia project has been created so the recordings could be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and contextualized into different Wikipedia articles and wikidata entries, recovering stories and biografies of forgotten singers such as Emilio Cabello or events like the Flamenco Tango -not to be confused with Argentinean one, singed in Cadiz carnivals of 1889 as a parody of Jack the ripper stories.
The poster will be designed by the Universitat Politècnica de València in-house designers, and will include QR codes with samples of the audios and explanations by the team working on it. Also, even if the project covers primarily material whose original language is Spanish, other languages can be included or shown in the poster thanks to the QR codes.
Further details
[edit source]Qn. How does your session relate to the event themes: Diversity, Collaboration Future?
Even if Spain is not a global south country, we are talking about early XX century records of peoples, events and songs dating back to the XIX century. The ability of recording voice so early was extremely rare, and not that much recordings have survived.
The collaboration between local Wikimedia editors and institutions allowed to release, share and contextualize a gap in our own history or heritage which allows us to understand better the livelihood and times of our ancestors.
Qn. What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
Everyone can participate in this session
Qn. What is the most appropriate format for this session?
Onsite in Singapore
Remote online participation, livestreamed- Remote from a satellite event
- Hybrid with some participants in Singapore and others dialing in remotely
- Pre-recorded and available on demand
