By Brandon Burke
Every year, the Library of Congress adds twenty-five sound recordings to its National Recording Registry of historical documents that showcase “the range and diversity of American recorded sound heritage.” An expanding time capsule of the American sound experience, the Registry covers a broad spectrum of events from early Thomas Edison cylinders and historic speeches to music recordings by Henry Cowell, Patsy Cline, and Public Enemy.
The latest additions were announced on March 21st and include a series of radio broadcasts held by the Hoover Archives. Titled, “Proceedings of the United Nations Conference on International Organization (4/25–6/26, 1945),” on the Registry, the 146 lacquer discs in Hoover’s United Nations Conference on International Organization proceedings collection include plenary sessions, committee meetings, the arrival of President Truman, and the signing of the UN Charter. It is the only known copy of what is understood to be the de facto official audiovisual record of the conference.
The discs were digitized to best practice specification by Hoover in 2009 and will remain in the Archives. The Library of Congress receives a 1:1 copy of Hoover’s high-resolution digital masters to store in its preservation environment—a move that physically situates the files alongside other Registry additions and ensures enduring access by way of duplication in another geographic location.
Access copies of the radio broadcasts are available to stream now on Hoover’s Digital Collections site. Learn more about the United Nations Conference on International Organization by reading Hoover’s collection webpage and finding aid.
