Hello, IRENE: Bringing Old Sounds to Light

Patricia Daukantas

Thanks to two optical imaging technologies, long-silent sound recordings of the past will once again resonate for future generations.

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For almost as long as humans have been taking photographs, they have been inscribing sounds onto physical media. Analog sound recordings from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries constitute an important part of humanity’s heritage. Yet many are slowly decaying, worn down by an onslaught of mold, surface scratches, dust, wear and general deterioration.

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