Vintage Record Auction 77
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This magnificent sale featured 78rpm records, phono cylinders, radio transcriptions, Edison Diamond Discs, picture records, test pressings and much more. Genres included jazz, blues, country, personality, sacred, operatic, classical, comedy, rock & roll, R&B, foreign & ethnic, children's and historical recordings.
Nauctions always feature specially curated categories and historically significant pieces. This catalog ran true-to-form with a collection of rare early electrical tests, an extensive array of seldom seen American ethnic labels, hundreds of 1930s radio transcriptions (including lost episodes of Dick Tracy from the 1930s), concert cylinders that appear to have been part of a magic lantern show soundtrack, a 1903 recording of Pope Leo XIII, and a unique copy of what may be the earliest known American picture record.
In addition to our normal selection of Gem Quality 78s, an exceptional run of Gem Quality Edison Gold Moulded 2 minute wax cylinders was featured.
Auction 77 Unsold Lots
Most of the records in our catalogs are sold at auction, but there are always a number that do not receive bids. These leftover records are made available for their Minimum Bid amounts on a first-come, first-served basis.
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VRA 77 Highlights
Out of the thousands of items offered in each catalog, a few stand out in terms of rarity, value, historical significance and/or visual appeal.
This slideshow will give you a taste of what was served up in our Fall 2025 sale!
Pope Leo XIII Booklet
Perhaps the highlight of Nauction 77 was the recording of Pope Leo XIII (which included its original silk-tied booklet). The Pontiff made just two known recordings in his lifetime, both of which were recorded by Gianni Bettini at the Vatican on February 5, 1903. The "Vicar of Christ" passed away just a few months later at the age of 93.
A contemporary of Thomas Jefferson, Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci (Leo XIII) entered the world on March 2, 1810. We are not aware of any commercially issued recording made by anyone born prior to that date.
The record & booklet were sold together as Lot 3445.