The Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording has over 13,000 images belonging to the Theophilus vintage reel tape recorder recording collection.  We believe this is one of the largest documentation collections on magnetic sound recording and specifically on reel to reel tape recorders from the 1940's through the present.  However, while there has been a resurgence in the interest of analogue recording, only the Otari company continues to manufacturer custom reel to reel tape recorders.

Please note! Non-profit entity dissolved: In December 2017, after five years of working to create a permanent public non-profit museum, the Board decided we'd had given it our best effort and the non-profit was dissolved. Some of the significantly valuable vintage devices that had been donated to the Museum were purchased by the Theophilus permanent collection owners. Other donated items were sold to interested parties and the remaining funds donated to the non-profit "Swan Songs." The non-profit museum ceased to exist on December 31, 2017.

News coverage #1 • News coverage #2  • News coverage #3  •view trailer of the 7 hour collection

Our MOMSR collection is available in a 7 hour video production divided by manufacturer and downloadable for $9.95 at this link

view trailer of the 7 hour collection

This lint of links enables you to view the ads for vintage recording devices by year in a slide show format. 

Ads by Year  1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 19931994 to Present Misc Pre 1946

It is our goal to provide research space for persons reviewing the museums archive of related printed material; magazines, catalogs, operating and service manuals. The Museum Library with have original documents as well as digital files that will be available in the Museum as well as through the Museum’s web site. View ads and catalogs in the Reel2ReelTexas.com site.

         

Below are some of the ads through the years.

1903	1941	1947	1948	1949	1953
1954	1954	1956	1956	1956	1958
1958	1959 - Audio List Ken deGruchy	1960	1961	1962	1962
1962	1962	1962	1963	1964	1964
1964	1964	1965	1965	1965	1965
1965	1966	1966	1966	1967	1967
1967	1967	1967	1968	1968	1968
1968	1968	1969	1969	1969	1969
1969	1969	1970	1971	1971	1971
1971	1971	1971	1972	1972	1972
1972	1972	1973	1973	1973	1973
1974	1974	1974	1974	1974	1974
1974	1975	1975	1975	1975	1975
1976	1976	1976	1976	1977	1976
1977	1977	1977	1977	1977	1977
1978	1978	1978	1978	1978	1978
1979	1979	1979	1979	1979	1979
1980	1980	1980	1980	1980	1981
1982	1982	1982	1983	1983	1983
1983	1983	1983	1983	1984	1984
1985	1985	1985	1986	1986	1986
1986	1986	1986		1986	1986
1987	1987	1987	1987	1987	1988
1988	1988	1989		1990
1990	1990		1992	1992	1993