Ochrona zabytkowych zapisów fonograficznych
The Protection of Old Phonographic Records

Summary/Abstract: The article considers gramophone and phonograph recordings of the "standard type" (78 rpm), made in 1878-1945 with acoustic and electric systems. Such recordings should be protected primarily for historical reasons in their capacity as musical illustrations of the epoch in which they were produced. Wartime devastation, the flow of time and ordinary mechanical usage are the reasons why the majority of recordings from 1890-1918 are unique; later recordings are also often represented by single examples. The situation is not much better as regards so-called talking machines. The author draws attention to the fact that Poland has no phonographic museums, and that the resources of the National Library, the Museum of Technology and music museums are haphazard. Furthermore, museum and conservation courses do not include a phonographic specialisation, and protection regulations remain far from perfect. The presented study is dedicated to Prof. Janusz Łętowski (1939-1999), outstanding musicologist and lawyer.

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