Series I comprises the original 12-inch master discs produced by Pfau Sound and Recording
Studios between 1946 and 1958. Most of the recordings are alternate takes not issued
commercially by the company. There are also test pressings, a small number of mother discs
and transcription discs, and a few recordings produced for private corporate or individual
use. The master recordings are lacquer-coated, aluminum-based instantaneous discs. A number
of these suffer from deteriorating surface lacquer (flaking or oxidizing). The numbering
system Pfau employed for the recordings consisted of 3 elements: month, year, number of
recording or take; for example, "3-51-8" would indicate the eighth recording or take made in
March, 1951. At times, Pfau included a letter suffix or prefix to these recording numbers.
Pfau contracted with RCA Victor Division in Indianapolis to manufacture discs for commercial
release. Some of the master discs include a matrix number which was assigned by RCA Victor.
Several of the master discs are not identified due to a lack of both recording and matrix
numbers. The series includes commercially released 78-rpm and 45-rpm discs.
The recordings are mostly of polka and old-time artists, notably, Bernie Roberts, John
Check, Emil Guenther, Ray Dorschner, Louis Bashell, Joe Gumin, Gene Heier, Dick Rodgers, Erv
Matti, Pete Ochs, Joey Tantillo, and many others. Other genres include country (Dave Dudley,
Ira Smith, Lois Walter), western swing (Hiawatha Ramblers), Swiss folk (Swiss Family
Fraunfelder, Jolly Alpine Boys), novelty (Dave Prichard), popular music artists (Eddie
Daniels, Bob Kames, Kay Andrus), rock (Ken Davis), and gospel artists (Gospelteers). Among
the private recordings are several church choirs, family celebrations, non-professional
musicians, public service announcements, corporate training programs, and personal spoken
messages.
Series II, Papers, principally consists of business correspondence and recording
inventories by Harold Pfau and Jim Kirchstein, and select original disc sleeves. The Pfau
papers include a test pressing report from RCA Victor Division, correspondence with
recording artists, and hand-written partial inventories of issued recordings. The Kirchstein
papers are hand-written inventories of master discs. The disc sleeves include handwritten
notes, often indicating "good," "NG" [no good], or "press." 10 and 12-inch sleeves are
located in Box 7; 13.5-inch sleeves located in Box 11.
