Scientists Restore Recording Of Author Jack London's Voice

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have restored a voice recording of author Jack London's voice, making it available to modern audiences.

The restoration, which is currently being touched up by a research team at the lab, provides a 1915 recording of a letter by the author.

The audio playback contains a dictated letter London addressed to fellow writer Max Ehrmann discussing the conditions of state prisons and supporting the claims that London made in his novel "The Star Rover."

"Just a rush letter, ere I sail for Hawaii," London says in the recording. "Merely want to tell you that everything concerning California prisons in 'The Star Rover' is true."

London goes on to criticize the Erie County penitentiary at Buffalo, New York, saying that what he saw there was almost unthinkable.

The recording was encoded on a wax Dictaphone cylinder and processed by a research team at the lab. Twelve wax cylinders of London's voice exist, but only one was suitable for restoration by the lab, said Carl Haber, a senior scientist at the lab's physics division.

The recording is owned by California State Parks, which gave it to the lab to restore, Haber said.

While London's voice cannot yet be heard by the public, California State Parks plans to place the recording in London's cottage at the Jack London State Historic Park, said Roy Stearns, deputy director of communications at California State Parks.

However, the quality of the recording is not ideal, Haber said.

The cylinder from which the audio was restored was fragile and archaic, Stearns said.

Many of London's phrases are unintelligible, but certain words do stand out clearly, Haber said. The author's words are most comprehensible when heard with a written transcript of the letter, which is available to the public.

Stearns said the London recording is precious and said the park is taking the artifact very seriously.

"We at the state park think that this recording is wonderful because (London) was one of the premiere writers of (his) time and I'm sure that once we share it with the public, they will flock to hear his voice," Stearns said.

Tags: RECORDING, JACK LONDON