The Australian Women's Register

[Red Cross Archives series reference: Not Applicable] Comprises 98 gramophone records used by the Australian Red Cross to support a wide variety of activities including funding appeals, endorsements, interviews, speeches and music therapy for rehabilitation contexts. These gramophone disks were from a variety of sources including the Australian Red Cross, the International Red Cross as well as commercial broadcasts and recordings. Some notable speakers include: senior members of the Red Cross including Lady Brooks, Lady Edwina Mountbatten, Paul De Ruegger; scientists Sir Peter MacCallum, Dr. Eric Cunningham Dax; notable sportsmen Donald Bradman, Lewis Hoad, Bert Bryant and philanthropists Lord Nuffield. CAUTION: It should be noted that these recordings reflect the attitudes of time in which they were created, and may contain language and views which may be considered offensive today. Many of these gramophone disks are 16 inch in diameter or Broadcast size which are now rare. Scrap for Victory drives resulted in many early gramophone disks being recycled for reuse during the WW2 to reuse shellac. It was a common belief at the time that audio recordings were ephemeral. See: Fishman, Karen and McKee, Jan. Reference Librarian, Recorded Sound Section, Library of Congress. Scrap for Victory Library of Congress https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2015/01/scrap-for-victory/ (Accessed 15/11/2017) Additionally, five of these Broadcast disks have etched b sides advertising the manufacturer RCA Victor and icon of dog listening to speaker. See items 2016.0077.00078, 2016.0077.00079, 2016.0077.00081, 2016.0077.00082, 2016.0077.00083 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unusual_types_of_gramophone_records Some of the commercial play recordings used in Red Cross convalescent and rehabilitation homes have braille labels, these include: The Thirty Nine Steps 2016.0077.00039 – 2016.0077.00045; A kid for two farthings 2016.0077.00048 – 2016.0077.00055 and Life of Mahatma Gandhi 2016.0077.00068 To date most of these records have not been digitised. This series does not have a previous Red Cross control number; but many items do have previous control numbers which are retained. Researchers should note that under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 protections govern the use of the Red Cross emblem. For further information see Archives staff.