High-resolution access: https://fonsart.ch
Between 1930 and 1960, radio contents were mainly recorded on lacquer transcription discs, consisting of a thin layer of lacquer applied on aluminium, PVC, paper or glass substrates. Due to their composite structure and lack of standardisation in manufacturing, these carriers have proved to be very unstable and deteriorate rapidly.
Radio Télévision Suisse’s collection of 85,000 lacquer discs is of substantial historical and political significance. It also holds technological importance and includes a wide range of international manufacturers used in broadcasting services.
This toolkit provides identification criteria for each disc, supplemented by a visual notebook of the degradations and digitisation specificities, along with chemical analyses, microscopical characterisation, and historical research that revealed the Second World War conditions.
