Welcome! I am The Pumamouse (MaryAnne), and have I got a “tail” to tell! This webpage has been created especially for those who may be interested in how South African OTR survived in the USA. |
| South African Old-Time Radio Pumamouse Pieces Of The Puzzle The Truth About "The Mother Lode" |
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| As any novice entering the world of OTR might tell you, there are nearly as many rumors circulating amongst the general masses, regarding the origins of the programs that are available, as there are programs themselves. This is particularly true concerning SA OTR. One of the most intriguing stories which came to my attention early in my search for SA OTR was that of "The Original Reels"...a batch of first generation reel recordings which were made by one or more Americans, during one or more visits to South Africa, who traveled there specifically for that purpose. These “Original Reels” were reportedly recorded directly from the master reels at the radio station or production studio, prior to the master reels being erased for reuse. It seemed like a fairytale. Yet, there is usually some truth in every story. And, if true, this fable would help to explain the radical differences in sound quality which could be heard between some of the programs I had by then located, which were clearly copies of copies of copies. Thus, my search for what I like to term “The Mother Lode” began. It was not easy. Nearly every collector/dealer I encountered claimed to have the rumored “Original Reels” in their possession. In all fairness, some did so due to their own ignorance. When one has collected thousands of reels over several decades, I suppose it is easy enough to forget the details of each individual acquisition. Sadly, some others intentionally deceived, capitalizing upon a novice’s trust, simply in an effort to turn a profit. However, instead of causing my retreat, these instances only added to my determination to find “The Mother Lode” for inclusion in the archives. After digging up countless rocks, The Pumamouse finally struck pay-dirt. My efforts eventually lead me to a gentleman named Ted Davenport. Ted Davenport is a longtime OTR collector, and a reputable dealer. The first time I heard one of Ted Davenport’s OTR audio cassettes, I knew I had found something worthy of further investigation. I contacted Ted in search of SA OTR, and I soon learned that only the smallest sampling of his SA OTR collection had ever been transferred from his reels. Apparently, no one had ever expressed any great interest in this material prior to my inquires. He thought the material was good enough to keep in his enormous collection, and he always intended to transfer it for his own listening pleasure, presumably when all of the other requests for more popular programs had been filled, or when he retired, whichever came first. Being my usual patient self, I begged Ted to transfer all of his SA OTR...immediately, if not sooner. Ted agreed to begin the process, noting that it might take some time to complete it...possibly months or even years, due to the volume of his of SA OTR collection and his other requests for non-related material. I assured him that my interest would not waver. I was thoroughly relieved by and very grateful for his assistance, and I explained my ultimate goal to return these programs to South Africa, for inclusion in the archives. Being a true OTR preservationist, Ted began to move mountains...and I began to see/hear a glimmer of "The Mother Lode". Initially, Ted thought to transfer his reels, including those which he believed to have been copied directly from the master reels in South Africa so many years ago. However, he quickly remembered that some of his SA OTR material was not the earliest generation currently available. He could have simply passed his recordings off as the best, just as so many others had done, knowing that I would never be able to determine the difference. However, aware that the material was destined for the archive, he made the extra effort of contacting a very dear friend who he was certain had an earlier generation copy of some of the programs than his. That friend’s name is Jim Blythe. You will not find it listed at any website where OTR is routinely sold, because Jim Blythe is not a collector/dealer. He is a private collector who has no desire to sell, and only trades within his small circle of close personal friends. Luckily, Ted Davenport is one of those close personal friends. Upon being advised of the situation, Jim agreed to transfer ALL of both his and Ted’s SA OTR reels...truly, The Mother Lode!!! Granted, there may still be bits and pieces of gold to be found with other collectors/dealers and private collectors throughout the world, and my search will continue until every nugget has been unearthed. The preservation of this material is very rewarding. And, there have been some unanticipated rewards along the way...including a few answers to the mysteries which have plagued The Pumamouse since the beginning of this quest. As grateful as I was to know that this mass of material had been located in the USA, I could not help but wonder how it came to be here. Was there any truth to those fairytales I had heard? The answer came to me by way of Ted and Jim. Knowing that I wished to explain the truth behind "The Mother Lode" here, Ted asked Jim to set his recollections down in an email. Jim kindly obliged, and the following is what I received from Ted, included here for your consideration with both Ted’s and Jim’s permission. Any of my own notations are given within asterisks. Take a look at this... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ted, In the late 60’s and early 70’s, there were a number of collectors listing and trading South African material. I traded for all the Ex sounding shows I could get. **“Ex” is standard collector’s code for “excellent”.** One of the more prolific South African collectors was Fuller Horton of Greenville, South Carolina. After he notified me on an occasion that he was quitting the hobby, I suggested that if he sent me all his So. African material to copy, I would send him like time in USA shows at no cost to him. Fuller sent me 30 reels of material that he had received from his correspondent (four hrs per reel) who had air checked the shows in South Africa. I copied it all on three head, three motor machines using quality tape and monitored trying to get the best copy. Some of the correspondence was kind of neat, like some commercials were cut because they were in Dutch. He could send other shows, but we might not appreciate them as they were bi-lingual (English and Dutch both spoken on the same program). Another ‘quaint’ note was the correspondent asking Fuller for a copy of the musical score of “Hair”, as it was banned in South Africa. **Obviously, the Afrikaans language was mistaken for Dutch.** I traded the whole set to a number of collectors, including Bill Blalock and George Jennings. George was so thrilled that he made a trip to So. Africa and might have even talked of syndication? He also sent me several copies of some ‘slick’ magazines that would put some of ours to shame. He came back with six more reels that included Adam Kane, as I recall. When you suggested that I put my ‘Horton’ collection on CD’s, it seemed good to go thru my whole collection and put everything I had on CD...It was no trick to pull up all S/A material using the data base. To my surprise it turned up about 315 shows (some 60 min), some shows being duplicates with different titles. I believe I’ve sent you about 80 hours with another 92(?) hours to go. That which has been sent is in nice sound, but the ‘Horton’ material should be about Excellent. As there turned out to be more than the 120 hours of ‘Horton’ material it may be assumed that there were others trading with South Africa (providing Horton sent me all that he had). It’s confusing comparing half hour shows with hour shows, but I believe when this project is finished I will have mastered 170 more or less hours to the digital format in Vg-Ex sound or better? It’s awesome to think one has had a hand in preserving this material for posterity, and once it’s digitalized, it’s almost incorruptible. Best, Jim **“Vg-Ex” is standard collector’s code for “very good to excellent”.** **I am delighted to report that Jim's initial guess-estimate of total hours was conservatively low...Squeak!"** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, there you have it...the truth regarding "The Mother Lode". Having found it, I will continue my search for any other bits and pieces of surviving SA OTR on this side of the world while Frans continues his search on the other side of the world. Our progress will be reported with monthly updates to the “Catalogue” and “Program Description” webpages of this website, as well as an occasional essay by yours truly, when necessary, to keep anyone interested in SA OTR well apprised of new developments. Please return often to The Pumamouse Website, and particularly to the South African OTR section to read new developments as the search for SA OTR progresses. And, please be sure to read an essay intended to set the record straight, once and for all, about the generally accepted loss of so many SA OTR treasures to road construction, regarding the very much WRONGFULLY accused SABC! (This one is sure to amaze anyone with even the slightest interest in SA OTR.) You may read the facts of the matter by clicking on the link below for "The Pumamouse's Essay-Bee-See". For now, thank you for taking the time to read this personal account. The Pumamouse (MaryAnne) February 2002 |
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