The Tandberg Collection

Tape enthusiast and audio artist Odd-Jan Jonassen has worked with sound production since the 1950's. His private collection of Tandberg tape recorders and supplementing material was donated to the Norwegian Institute of Recorded Sound on 20th. July 2004, and will be accessible to the general public among the institute's other exhibitions. Visitors will be able to listen to magnetic tapes, and order digital copies of their private recordings (at a cost).

The basis for the Tandberg Collection is the cultural and industrial history of Tandbergs's tape recorders. The collection consists of tape recording machinery as well as user's guides, product development and leaflets. There are also information about Vedbjørn Tandberg, his factories and the spirit of the business. In addition, there are tape recordings from radio, amateur recordings and "phono tapes". The development of the tape recorder is given a central role.

Furthermore, the collection deals with how the machines were used, technical terms and the work of the norwegian tape amateur milieu. The earlier activities of Stavanger Lydbåndklubb is covered, with their making of reportages and news programmes. Historical material of local radio broadcast (introduced legally in Norway in 1981) are preserved, among them the pirat radio stations of the Stavanger region.

Within these borders, the collection grew with the help of other collectors as well as former Tandberg-employees.

Links to additional information (in Norwegian) can be found here. Vebjørn Tandberg in the 60's