An update . . . just fired off the following to the BL:

Hi,

Are the "Victorian street" and "17th century battle" sound effects available at [URL] authentic or are they reenactments?

This is not at all clear from the Web page. Moreover, the catalog description offers no information as to the technology or process by which these recordings were obtained--I find this lack of attention to provenance surprising and disturbing in a library collection.

I'm particularly confused as to how one could have obtained a recording in the 17th century as the techniques for recorded sound were not available until the late 19th century.

Thank you--

Paleoaccoustics?