- 2 Frassetto Way - Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
Grossman Estate, Autographs, and Fresh Finds
Lot 5:
Description
Collection of magnetic reel-to-reel tapes found at the property of Albert Grossman documenting significant 1950s and 1960s folk and blues recordings. The archive comprises 15 large 10.5-inch reels and 11 smaller 7-inch reels. The media is housed in original manufacturer packaging including Ampex Precision Magnetic Tape boxes, Allied Radio Corporation Knight Plus-Play boxes, and Scotch Brand Magnetic Tape boxes. The collection features rehearsals, studio takes, and album review copies for prominent artists such as Peter, Paul and Mary, Odetta, Theodore Bikel, Ed McCurdy, and Sippi Wallace. Included are multiple yellow studio take sheets from Sound Makers Inc. (6 West 57th St, NYC) detailing track listings for Peter, Paul and Mary. The lot is accompanied by a Transcend ESD260C 250GB portable SSD containing a full digitized archive of the tapes completed in July 2023 at Nevessa Studio, with a total running time of 38 hours and 22 minutes. The 10.5-inch reels are housed in Ampex boxes with printed labels for series 406 and 407, along with Scotch metal reels. The 7-inch reels are stored in a brown leatherette carrying case and individual cardboard boxes. Detailed handwritten tracklists are present on the verso of the Knight and Scotch boxes, identifying historical blues compilations and folk sessions dated between 1957 and 1962. One Ampex box bears a handwritten note stating unplayable even after baking.
Condition report:
The collection shows various signs of age-related wear and media degradation. Cardboard boxes exhibit surface staining, edge fraying, toning, and scattered losses to the printed surfaces. The brown leatherette case displays scuffing and minor oxidation to the metal hardware. The magnetic tape media varies; binder hydrolysis (sticky shed syndrome) is noted on at least one large reel. Yellow paper inserts are creased with moderate toning. The digital archive on the portable SSD is provided in a retail box and appears to be in good functional condition.
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