Divas and Dance Bands: Brodsworth Hall’s Gramophone Record Collection

This summer visitors to Brodsworth Hall & Gardens will be able to hear music once enjoyed at the hall by the Thellusson and Grant-Dalton families. It will in fact sound exactly as the family used to hear it – crackles and all – as the recordings have been taken directly from some of the old and well-used gramophone records found at the hall. 
 
The collection of 98 records ranges in date from 1900 to the 1970s, and includes a wide range of musical genres: from opera, to dance and jazz bands, film and theatre music, orchestral works and pop songs.  They give a fascinating insight into the music the family once enjoyed, and how it would have sounded when they listened to it - which can be surprising to modern ears used to listening to faultless recordings on CDs or as MP3s. A selection will be on display, from big 12-inch 78rpm gramophone records, to comparatively small 45rpm pop singles.  
 
It is in the South Hall that visitors will be able to hear the atmospheric sounds of the records again as they tour the house. They will be able to find out more about the records, and choose tracks to listen to again in a display upstairs.

This exciting project has been developed with the assistance of one of English Heritage’s members with a particular interest in recording history.  After a visit to Brodsworth Hall, Jim Pattison noticed some of the early records on display – many had been consigned to the Lathe Room, which contains a fascinating and sometimes bizarre collection of items discarded by the family. He offered to catalogue the collection, and his enthusiasm led to the idea of enabling the sounds of the records to be heard again and enjoyed by all visitors to Brodsworth – which will come to fruition this summer.
 
The gramophones and records will be on display at Brodsworth Hall from 25th July and will form part of the ongoing insight into the Thelluson family’s life at the hall.

For more information please call the site on 01302 722598 or visit Brodsworth Hall and Gardens