"LOST" RECORDINGS
Despite the best efforts of the Library of Congress and other sound repositories around the world, innumerable items from the world’s recorded sound history are believed to be lost. For example, it is estimated that only 2% of the 3000-plus cylinder recordings produced by the North American Phonograph Company (NAPCo) between 1889 and 1894 have been accounted for.
Some other recordings, commercially released or not, believed to be among the missing include recordings made by Judy Garland, Irving Berlin and even Mark Twain.
There is always, however, the possibility that one or more of these may turn up in attics, basements or elsewhere. The Recorded Sound Section of the Library of Congress is currently searching for the following titles. Have you seen—or heard—any of these? (They may exist as test pressings or commerical releases, and on cylinder, disc or other media.)
If you have, please contact: codell@loc.gov.
RADIO/BROADWAY
Abbott and Costello: “Who’s on First?” (debut radio performance as heard on “The Kate Smith Show,” March 24, 1938)
“Amos ‘n’ Andy” (first broadcast) (1928)
Joseph C. Miron: “My Low 'C'” (1901) (original cast recording, from “The Chaperons”)
“Last Christmas Tree, The” (CBS radio editoral by William Lindsay White, 12/24/40)
Lou Gerhig: “Luckiest Man Alive” (full speech/broadcast) (July 4, 1939)
COMMERCIAL RECORDINGS
4 Black Troubadours: “Bumble Bee”
4 Black Troubadours: “Brother Michael”
4 Black Troubadours: “I Think of Thee”
Bert Williams: “Cake Walk, The” (1903)
Bert Williams: “Mammy's Pickaninny Boy” (1897)
Bert Williams: “My Little Zulu Babe” (solo version) (1901)
Bing Crosby: “Delicious” (1931)
Bing Crosby: “Got To Wear You Off My Weary Mind” (1944)
Black Patti Troubadours cylinders (1897)
Bohee Minstels: “Banjo Duet”
Buddy Bolden cylinder(s) (c. 1900)
Capt. Ellis and His Jazz Band: “On the Level You’re a Little Devil”
Carlisle and Wellmon: “Kiss Me Right”
Charley Patton and Bertha Lee: “Bed Bugs And Snakes” (1934)
Charley Patton and Bertha Lee: “Black Cow Blues” (1934)
Charley Patton and Bertha Lee: “Delta Murder, The” (1934)
Charley Patton and Bertha Lee: “Dog Train Blues” (1934)
Charley Patton and Bertha Lee: “Mind Readers Blues” (1934)
Charley Patton and Bertha Lee: “Move Your Trunk” (1934)
Charley Patton and Bertha Lee: “Oh Lord I’m In Your Hands” (1934)
Charley Patton and Bertha Lee: “Stoop Down” (1934)
Charley Patton and Bertha Lee: “Till The Day Is Done” (1934)
Charley Patton and Bertha Lee: “Whiskey Distillery” (1934)
Charley Patton: “Charles Bradley’s Ten-Sixty Blues” (1934)
Dan and Harvey’s Jazz Band: “The Jazz Band”
Dan and Harvey’s Jazz Band: “I Love Them All”
Edward M. Favor: “Isabella” (1897)
Edward M. Favor: “Newsboys Chorus” (1897)
Edward M. Favor: “My Little Star” (1897)
Edward M. Favor: “Yew-ra-liar-ty” (1897)
Fisk Jubilee Quartet: “Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray/Shout All Over God's Heaven and Little David” (1916)
Fisk Juliee Quartet: “A Perfect Day/Goin' Up” (1916)
Ford Dabney cylinders (c. 1910)
Frances Williams: “I Knew Him When” (1934)
Frank Daniels: “My Angeline” (1896)
Frank Sinatra: “Farewell Amanda” (for the soundtrack of “Adam's Rib”) (1949)
Fred Astaire: “Say It With Firecrackers” (c. 1941)
George Bohee: “Hunter’s March”
George Bohee: “Niagara March”
George Bohee: “March in C”
George Bohee: “Bohemian Galop”
George Ruthland Clapham Champion Band: “Runnin’ Wild”
George Ruthland Clapham Champion Band: “Notin’ But”
George W. Johnson: “Laughing Darkey, The” (1892)
George W. Johnson: “Uncle Ned's Dream” (1892)
Gershwin Trio: “Kismet and Chica” (1920)
Gilmore Band for Edison: The Conqueror March (1891)
Gilmore Band for Edison: “Salute to Orange” (1891)
Gilmore Band for Edison: “Song & Dance (Cornet Solo) Twilight Masquerade” (1891)
Gilmore Band for Edison: Selection from “The Merry Monarch” (1891)
Gilmore Band for Edison: Overture--“William Tell” (1891)
Gilmore Band for Edison: “Emmet’s Lulaby” (Cornet by Mr. Thos. Clark) (1891)
Gilmore Band for Edison: Selection from “La Cicagle” (1891)
Gilmore Band for Edison: Others from 1891
G.P. Huntley: “Algy's Simply Awf'lly Good at Algebra” (1902)
H.M. (Henry Make) Johnson: “My Carolina Caroline”
H.M. (Henry Make) Johnson: “My Pretty Ace of Spades”
H.M. (Henry Make) Johnson: “Just Kiss Yourself Good-bye”
Irving Berlin: “Always” (c. 1925)
Jack Johnson: “My Own Story of the Big Fight at Reno, Nevada, July 4, 1910” (part 2)
Jack Norworth and Nora Bayes: “Shine On, Harvest Moon” (1910)
Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra: “Play it Red” (1927)
Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra: “Stampede” (1927)
John McCloskey: “Alma” (1911)
John McCloskey: “Love Me” (1911)
Judy Garland: “Hold That Bulldog” (1936)
Judy Garland: “Who Know” (1937)
King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band: “If You Want My Heart (You Got to ‘Low it, Babe)” (1923)
King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band: “Sweet Something Dear, The” (1923)
King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band: “When You Leave Me Alone to Pine” (1923)
Laura Bowman and Pete Hampton: “Massa’s in the Cold, Cold Ground
Laura Bowman and Pete Hampton: “Mammy’s Only Child”
Lorenzo Tio, Sr. cylinders (1898)
Louis Armstrong reference cylinders for the books “50 Hot Choruses for Cornet” and “50 Hot Breaks for Trumpet” (c. 1927)
Louis Vasnier cylinders (c. 1890)
Maggie Mitchwell: various Berliner cylinders
Marshall P. Wilder: various Berliner cylinders
Maurice Farkoa: “Trilby Song” (1896)
May C. Hyers cylinders (1898)
Mme. Janauschek: various Berliner cylinders
Norris Smith: “A Little Boy in Blue”
Norris Smith: “When the Swallows Build Their Nests”
Norris Smith: “Goodbye, Little Girl, Goodbye”
Pete Hampton: “Bill Bailey Won’t You Please Come Home”
Pete Hampton: “I Want to See the Dear Old Home Again”
Pete Hampton: “Under the Bamboo Tree”
Pete Hampton: “Chicken”
Pete Hampton: “Any Rags”
Pete Hampton: “Teasin’”
Roland Hayes: “A Spirit Flower” (c.1918)
Roland Hayes: “Deep River” (1923)
Roland Hayes: “I Hear You Calling Me” (1918)
Roland Hayes: “Steal Away to Jesus” (1918)
Seth S. Weeks: “Whistling Rufus”
Seth S. Weeks: “Soldiers in the Park”
Seth S. Weeks: “The Washington Post March”
Seth S. Weeks: “Concert Polka”
Seth S. Weeks: “Handicap March and Twostep”
Sol Smith Russell: various Berliner cylinders
Standard Quartette cylinders (c. 1890)
Unique Quartette cylinders (c. 1890)
Virginia Earl: “A Simple Little String” (c.1899)
W.H. Crane: various Berliner cylinders
Wilbur Sweatman: “Maple Leaf Rag” (first recording) (c. 1903)
William H. Thompson: “In the Moonlight with the Girl You Love” (1902)
Williams and Walker: “Fortune Telling Man, The” (1901)
Williams and Walker: “Ghost of the Coon, The” (1901)
Wilson and Wilson: “Under a Panama”
Wilson and Wilson: “In Dixie”
OTHER
Mark Twain cylinder(s) for Bettini (c.1893)
Wire recordings from the Enola Gay (August 6, 1945)
The list does not purport to be exhaustive. For additional titles the Library is seeking please contact: codell@loc.gov.
The Library of Congress is interested in learning of other recordings that were produced but may no longer exist in any format. If you know of any such recordings, please e-mail: codell@loc.gov.
Once received, your communication will be reviewed in-house and you will be contacted.