Personal papers and collection of discographer, author, and philanthropist William R. Moran. Moran studied and wrote about opera recordings for his whole life and was an acknowledged expert on the opera recordings of many early singers, especially those that recorded for Victor Records. With Ted Fagan, Moran founded the Victor Project, a comprehensive discography of the Victor Talking Machine Company from 1900 to 1955.
Moran’s collection include his collections of sound recordings, books, journals, catalogs, photographs, and ephemera as well as his research files, including files he kept on singers and correspondence with singers, discographers, and others. Cylinder recordings can be found in the UCSB Cylinder Audio Archive and 78rpm discs can be found in UC Library Search. Digital copies can be requested through a Special Collections Research Account.
For a description of the collection, consult the finding guide in the Online Archive of California (OAC).
For more information on the collection or assistance in using the materials, please contact Special Collections staff at special@library.ucsb.edu.
