8-track tapes, LPs,
rotary phone all part
of ‘Flashback’ display
Alexandria Rodriguez / Reporter
LP records, 8-track tapes, reel to reel, Betamax tapes, an ITT model 500 telephone, Apple IIc computer and much more — all artifacts of a technology era gone by — are on display at the White Library on East Campus.
“Technology is amazing, the things we can do these days. It’s crazy!” said Vivian Brown, a library operations assistant.
Brown contributed an ITT model 500 telephone to the “Flashback: Computers and Technology” display located on the first floor of the library.
“I have just always liked rotary phones,” Brown said. “I just love that sound when the dial spins and clicks. It brings back fond memories of the first phone I can remember using.”
The ITT model 500 telephone was introduced in 1949 and was the most widely produced dial telephone ever, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
Eight-track tapes were popular in 1965 to the late ’70s, according to recording-history.org. They were designed to make it safer to listen to music while driving. The small knobs were intended to make it easier for drivers to change tapes without taking their eyes off the road. They are considered to have paved the way for all types of portable music.
Pete Carpentier Jr., an assistant professor and program coordinator, contributed his 8-track tapes and a Canonet G-III QL17 camera.
The Canonet was introduced in the ’70s and soon became the most popular camera of its day, according to Canon.com. It became one of the most popular point-and-shoot cameras of that time and made “Canonet” a household name.
“I am a music lover,” Carpentier said. “I have collected LPs, 8-track tapes and cassettes.”
Carpentier believes that today’s technology has changed the way we listen to music. However, he still listens to music on CDs.
Most of the items in the display can still be checked out at the library, according to Alexia Riggs, a reference librarian.
“Del Mar College Library strives to be the first to try new technologies while also preserving and keeping older materials in the library,” Riggs said. “We want to be able to provide students with the materials they need, whether it’s the opportunity to hear rare jazz standards on a record or to watch a documentary on Blu-ray.”
