UCSB Special Collections: Performing Arts: Williams (Frederick P.) Concert and Military Band Collection

Williams (Frederick P.) Concert and Military Band Collection
(1860s-2009) (PA Mss 72)

Unissued test pressing of an early electrical recording by Creatore's Band performing "Liberta dei Prigionieri." The matrix was recorded August 3, 1925 and the matrix number in the wax is B-33130 though it has a <VE> [Victor Electric] stamp. Click to enlarge (Fred P. Williams collection)

Papers and collection of band historian and record collector Frederick P. Williams. Williams collected early band records (78s and cylinders) primarily acousticly recorded concert and military band recordings from around the world. He also assembled a large collection of research materials on many famous early bands (Sousa, Pryor, etc) and well as the lesser known "ethnic" bands led by Giuseppe Creatore and others.

The collection of 78rpm discs numbers between 25,000-30,000 items and is being cataloged in the library's online catalog, Pegasus. Information on access to the recordings in the collection can be found here.

The 2,500 cylinders from his collection are being cataloged (and will eventually be digitized) through the Cylinder Preserivation and Digitziation Project.

The papers are currently awaiting processing and are closed until processing is complete.

Photographs of the collection and its transport from Philadelphia to Santa Barbara can be found here.

Williams (Frederick P.) Concert and Military Band Collection (1860s-2009) (PA Mss 72)

Williams (Frederick P.) Concert and Military Band Collection
(1860s-2009) (PA Mss 72)