The dawn of sound recording did far more than preserve operatic superstars and American jazz legends—it captured a significant range of regional and local traditions from around the world. Yet few histories of early recording truly reflect this global scope.

In this presentation, the creator of Excavated Shellac will introduce his work uncovering rare 78 rpm records—the primary sound carrier of the 20^th century—and will share extraordinary examples of traditional music pressed to shellac and distributed locally. Join us as we explore these corners of recorded history and the vibrant sounds that shaped communities far beyond the mainstream canon.

Jonathan Ward is a producer, writer, compiler, and collector of 78 rpm discs, with a focus on regional and folkloric recordings across the world. Two of his releases for the Dust-to-Digital record label (Opika Pende: Africa at 78 rpm (2011) and Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World’s Music (2020)) were Grammy-nominated for “Best Historical Album.” His professional career is in the museum sector.