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Lot 66
DICTAPHONE RECORDINGS BY JOHN STEINBECK. A collection of SoundScriber discs, 1940s-50s, as follows:
25 October 2023, 14:00 EDT
New YorkSold for US$10,240 inc. premium
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DICTAPHONE RECORDINGS BY JOHN STEINBECK.
A collection of SoundScriber discs, 1940s-50s, as follows:
"Wayward Bus." c.1947. Sides 1-24, 27-48. 23 7-inch SoundScriber discs, all but one in blank sleeves, sleeves annotated in pencil and wax pencil by John Steinbeck ("The Bus," "Wayward Bus," and just "Bus"), with corresponding side numbers, lacking sides 25-26.
"Russian." c.1948. Sides 1-20, 42-53. 16 7-inch SoundScriber discs, all but one in printed sleeves, sleeves annotated in pencil and wax pencil by John Steinbeck, identified by David Heyler as A Russian Journal, sleeves toned.
"Zapata." c.1950. Sides 1-12 (including first disc of instructions only, not to be typed), with a second set of 10 sides numbered 1-10. 11 7-inch SoundScriber discs, all in blank sleeves annotated in pencil and wax pencil by John Steinbeck, sleeves toned.
"Ladies Home Journal / Russian." Sides 1-2. Single 7-inch Soundscriber disc in sleeve annotated by Steinbeck.
WITH: 5 discs housed together in a single sleeve, identified by David Heyler as also relating to the LHJ/Russian project. An excerpt from A Russian Journal ran in the February 1948 issue of LHJ.
AND WITH: A single disc annotated by Steinbeck "Witches of Salem SPECIAL / do this first"; a 5 ½ inch SoundScriber disc from Henry Ford, Jr. to John Steinbeck; and other miscellaneous discs, including blanks.
The SoundScriber dictation machine was introduced in 1945. Using a soft plastic recording disc, the SoundScriber was able to record and play back on the same machine, making transcription easier. The small size of the discs and their durability also made it convenient to send them in the mail. Given that the 7-inch disc carries about 15 minutes per side, these discs are likely readings of Steinbeck's work for typists to transcribe.
"Wayward Bus." c.1947. Sides 1-24, 27-48. 23 7-inch SoundScriber discs, all but one in blank sleeves, sleeves annotated in pencil and wax pencil by John Steinbeck ("The Bus," "Wayward Bus," and just "Bus"), with corresponding side numbers, lacking sides 25-26.
"Russian." c.1948. Sides 1-20, 42-53. 16 7-inch SoundScriber discs, all but one in printed sleeves, sleeves annotated in pencil and wax pencil by John Steinbeck, identified by David Heyler as A Russian Journal, sleeves toned.
"Zapata." c.1950. Sides 1-12 (including first disc of instructions only, not to be typed), with a second set of 10 sides numbered 1-10. 11 7-inch SoundScriber discs, all in blank sleeves annotated in pencil and wax pencil by John Steinbeck, sleeves toned.
"Ladies Home Journal / Russian." Sides 1-2. Single 7-inch Soundscriber disc in sleeve annotated by Steinbeck.
WITH: 5 discs housed together in a single sleeve, identified by David Heyler as also relating to the LHJ/Russian project. An excerpt from A Russian Journal ran in the February 1948 issue of LHJ.
AND WITH: A single disc annotated by Steinbeck "Witches of Salem SPECIAL / do this first"; a 5 ½ inch SoundScriber disc from Henry Ford, Jr. to John Steinbeck; and other miscellaneous discs, including blanks.
The SoundScriber dictation machine was introduced in 1945. Using a soft plastic recording disc, the SoundScriber was able to record and play back on the same machine, making transcription easier. The small size of the discs and their durability also made it convenient to send them in the mail. Given that the 7-inch disc carries about 15 minutes per side, these discs are likely readings of Steinbeck's work for typists to transcribe.