Vous êtes ici

Saving South-African heritage : Rivonia trials original dictabelts digitizing

Title (author1): 
Mr
First names (author1): 
Brice
Surname (author 1): 
Amouroux
Institution: 
INA
Country: 
FRANCE
Presentation type: 
spoken paper
Date: 
30 Sept Wednesday
Start time: 
1 200
Venue: 
Salle 70
Abstract: 

Often referred to as, “the trial that changed South Africa”, 10 leaders of the ANC (including Nelson Mandela) were tried for 221 acts of sabotage designed to overthrow the apartheid system. The only heritage left of the "Rivonia trials", held between October 1963 and June 1964, is the original audio recording of the courtroom, burned on a specific vinyl cylinder: the Dictabelt.
After decades of silence, this unique collection of almost 600 original supports labeled "Memory of the world" by UNESCO, is now being digitized and restored by French National Audiovisual Institute (Ina). The partnership between South-African Department of Art and Culture and Ina is supported by FIAT/IFTA “Save Your Archive” program.
Playing and digitizing this particular audio recording support is made possible by a very close relationship between Ina and the French Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). A specific device, the Archeophone, has been created and developed by CNRS member Henri Chamoux in order to read and digitize all kind of audio cylinders, including Dictabelts. The preservation files generated through the Archeophone are then digitally restored by Ina technicians in order to regain the best archiving and listening material possible.
The lecture will explain the details of this project, its process and workflow, all of which aiming at giving open access to this unique heritage.