DOORS TO OPEN IN 2003
A new museum, dedicated solely to audio, will rise in Camden, N.J. The Museum of Sound Recording president Dan Gaydos and project director Bernard Fox announced that they have signed a contract with Coopers Ferry Development Association of Camden to revitalize the waterfront with the museum/theme park.
The contract allows for the design and construction of “SoundWave — The International Museum of Recorded Sound and Entertainment Center,” aided by a $56 million planned appropriation from the Delaware River Port Authority, the state of New Jersey and other sources.
“The Museum of Sound Recording and Coopers Ferry Development Association have been working in parallel for three to four years before being aware of each other’s progress,” said Gaydos. “Camden is a perfectly appropriate area to establish a museum and theme park, since Camden is where recording and record-making truly become a part of the socioeconomic and cultural fabric of America.” Camden is home to The Victor Talking Machine Company, The RCA Victory Company and RCA Corporation.
The museum/theme park will showcase the history and presence of RCA in Camden. The three main areas of interest, according to Gaydos, are: SoundStages, depicting how recording has changed society and history; SoundLabs, demonstrating the nature of acoustics, sound, noise, music and recording; and SoundScapes, showing the interplay between human perception and sound environments.
