$34.95
1 in stock
Title: The Wreck of the Shenandoah Format: Edison 4-Minute Cylinder (c. 1925) Artist: Vernon Dalhart
Description: This rare Edison cylinder captures Vernon Dalhart’s stirring ballad The Wreck of the Shenandoah, a memorial to the tragic 1925 crash of the U.S. Navy’s rigid airship over Noble County, Ohio. Dalhart, one of the most prolific recording artists of the 1920s, lends his clear tenor voice to a narrative that blends reportage with heartfelt tribute, echoing the era’s fascination with disaster ballads.
Issued as Cylinder Record #5078, this performance stands at the intersection of popular music and national mourning, preserving the cultural shock that followed the loss of 14 crewmen, including Commander Zachary Lansdowne. Dalhart’s recording not only documents the event but also reflects the public’s appetite for topical songs that transformed news headlines into enduring musical memory.
