From: JANET IRENE SEYMOUR <janet.seymour@wisconsinhistory.org> Subject: Fw: Update on Obsolete Media Laboratory Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2022 19:32:03 +0000 Message-id: <DM5PR06MB3404CC16E6F71E019D23C5C5870D9@DM5PR06MB3404.namprd06.prod.outlook.com>
Subject: Update on Obsolete Media Laboratory
In January the Sterling Eureka and Laketown Historical Society began a
new project -- the Obsolete Media Laboratory.
We advertised our project in the local newspaper and on our Facebook
page.
We have gotten donations of 3 different types of reel-to-reel tape
recorders (single track dual track), an old PC to read diskettes, three
projectors, 16mm, 8mm and Super 8mm, and several other devices including
a VHS to DVD recorder, a large format ADF scanner/printer and have made
our first purchase- a used batch photo scanner spending $85.
We recruited a newly retired person with experience in electronics who
will convert phonorecords to cds or digital files. He did the first two
records, 1964 and 1965 local high school band and choir to cds.
An old tape recorder donated came with a tape on it that was the owner
sending an audio letter home from Saigon Vietnam in the 1960s. Our
volunteer, a Vietnam veteran, was fascinated and found out the donor had
several of these tapes used as letters home from Vietnam and will
convert the rest of them as well as a tape from the parents to the donor
that had never been listened to as it was dual track and not playable on
the donor's machine.
This is pretty exciting as we get the equipment working and actually
begin finding old media to convert.
We have another volunteer lined up to convert the 1875-2000 Laketown
township records to digital with our foot-pedal-operated camera/scanner
beginning in March. We are also scanning slides and negatives with our
negative scanner. Those two pieces of equipment were purchased with
matching funds from the WHS mini grants for shared resources and have
been loaned to several other historical societies.
The lab has brought in new volunteers who have technical backgrounds
who are invaluable to our society!
Personally, as an obsolete person myself, it is enjoyable to work with
equipment that was state-of-the-art in the days when I was too!
Russ Hanson
Obsolete Media Laboratory
SELHS