Thursday, September 20, 2007

Jewish Music in the New York Times Archive

As of midnight, September 18th, the New York Times stopped charging for access to its archive. Specifically, the NYT now allows anyone to search the entire archive, which goes back to 1851, for article titles and first paragraphs. The NYT has also allowed free full text access for two portions of its archive, from 1851 to 1922 and from 1987 to the present. They expect to earn more from ad revenue than they are currently earning from subscriptions and article fees. (The NYT explains itself in this article)

Across the web, the race for buried treasure is on. Blogs (such as Kottke.org and Deeplinking.net) are digging through the archives looking for articles with historical or cultural significance. I thought I'd join in the fun.

July 16, 1959, Thursday ERNEST BLOCH, 78, COMPOSER, IS DEAD; Creator of 'Schelomo' Wrote in Terms of Jewish Spirit -- Used Bible Themes

April 26, 1908, Sunday CHAMPION CYMBALIST IS PLAYING HERE NOW; Folk Who Know Only Uptown Music May Find Him Down in East Houston Street. THE BARDS POPULAR THERE And the Subjects They Sing -- A New Note Heard in Jewish Minstrelsy

September 15, 1952, Monday TWO SCHOOLS DEDICATED; Cantors Institute and College of Jewish Music Formally Set Up

February 3, 1952, Sunday THE CASE FOR BELIEF THAT JEWISH MUSIC EXISTS Jewish music is as difficult to define as the Jewish people itself. There are those who deny the reality of a Jewish music. They say that what is called Jewish music is really Slavic or Balkan, Babylonian or Egyptian.

December 31, 1935, Tuesday CURBS JEWS IN MUSIC.; Reich Bars Them From Teaching -- Jewish Veterans Evicted.

April 12, 1903, Sunday "COON" SONGS IN YIDDISH AT EAST SIDE MUSIC HALLS; Where the Families of the Crowded Ghetto Find Amusement in the Highland Fling Transformed Into a Yiddish Dance and in the Strains of "Upidee."

If you want to do your own digging, go to the NYT home page, enter your query in the search box, and set the dropdown to "NYT Archive 1851 to 1987"

No comments: