Carnegie Hall Archives Audio Visual Preservation Assessment

FAIN: PG-50815-10

Carnegie Hall Society (New York, NY 10019-3293)
Gino Francesconi (Project Director: May 2009 to March 2012)

Hiring three consultants to assess the society's archival master recordings of concerts, television programs, and music education programs that have taken place at Carnegie Hall. The audio collection (1938-1990) includes 3,314 items in at least 13 different formats, and the videos (1951-1998) include 1,998 items in at least 11 formats. The consultants will advise the society on long-term preservation strategies for this large and diverse collection of materials.

The NEH Preservation Assistance Grant would enable Carnegie Hall to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the audio-visual collections currently held in its Archives. The assessment would be the first step toward developing a plan for preserving this vital collection, which includes audio and video recordings of thousands of concerts that have taken place at Carnegie Hall, television broadcasts of performances, and master tapes of Carnegie Hall's music education programs. Much of this collection is in danger of becoming unusable because of obsolete formats and unusable media. To conduct this assessment, Carnegie Hall will engage the firm AudioVisual Preservation Solutions.

Associated Products

Carnegie Hall Audiovisual Collection Assessment and Recommendations (Report)
Title: Carnegie Hall Audiovisual Collection Assessment and Recommendations
Author: AudioVisual Preservation Solutions (AVPS)
Abstract: This report is a comprehensive assessment of the audio-visual collections currently held in Carnegie Hall's Archives. The assessment isthe first step toward developing a plan for preserving this vital collection, which includes audio and video recordings of thousands of concerts that have taken place at Carnegie Hall, television broadcasts of performances, and master tapes of Carnegie Hall’s music education programs. Much of this collection is in danger of becoming unusable because of obsolete formats and unusable media.
Date: 7/1/2010
Primary URL: http://www.avpreserve.com
Primary URL Description: Website of AVPS, a consulting firm that provides resources needed by content caretakers to preserve, access, and distribute their audiovisual assets.

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