Lot 272

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Description:

ORIGINAL 1944 V-E DAY RECORDING OF THE LIBERTY BELL
An excessively rare single-sided 78-RPM record, a recording of the Liberty Bell being struck at Independence Hall on August 23, 1944. The record is divided into five tracks, as listed on the central label. The first three tracks contain arrangements of short and long strikes, with the fourth containing a "Brief Announcement", in part: "Independence Hall, in the city of Philadelphia holds America''s most treasured possession - our greatest symbol of freedom, the Liberty Bell. No longer in common use as when it summoned our forefathers to meetings and rang out the glorious news of independence, the Liberty Bell is now repaired as a shrine. Its historic tones do not pass beyond the walls of Independence Hall. The miracle of radio however, has expanded these walls as if by magic to include the whole world. Recorded for posterity and broadcast for lovers of freedom everywhere, radio now brings us the most inspiring sound in the history of our nation. As the liberty bell again full fills its original inscription... Proclaim liberty throughout all the land onto all the inhabitants thereof." This is followed by two sets of thirteen strikes, symbolizing the original thirteen colonies. The recording closes with three final strikes. The label further bears the catalog number "WD4-MC-4654", which is repeated on the wax itself. The blank reverse of the record bears a large embossed RCA-Victor title and logos, and the record is housed in its original blank brown paper sleeve. The side bearing the recording bears some soiling and one or two minor scuffs, which should not affect the playability of the record in the slightest. The record presented here contains one of three known recordings of the Liberty Bell being struck. The first was made hurriedly on the morning of June 6th, 1944, and consisted of the bell being struck twelve times, and then another seven times, with each latter stroke representing a letter of the word "Liberty". This recording was broadcast to introduce the government''s official announcement of the Allied invasion of Normandy that morning. The recording presented here was distributed by RCA-Victor to radio stations across America, to be played on the occasion of final victory over the Axis powers. The third recording was made by Columbia records, sometime in the 1950''s.

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April 17, 2018 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000