Sounds from 19th Century Main St: Hickok’s Music Store
By Bill Kleppel There are many reasons why vinyl record stores have made a renaissance over the past 20+ years. Nostalgia looms large as one reason. Some music aficionados believe there’s an auditory resonance you get from vinyl records that cannot be replicated by other modes of listening to music. Other people just think it’s cool to flip through the LP covers to check out the colors and artwork of the albums themselves. But let’s say you’ve been transported back in time. The year is 1905. You walk into Hickok’s Music Store on 276 Main Street in Poughkeepsie. You are instantly overwhelmed by stacks of records (made of shellac) and a wall of wax and tinfoil Edison Cylinders. From floor to ceiling are gramophone players, with enormous horns attached to them, which have the ability to play both. Sheet music can be purchased from behind the counter. They may be considered by some as the 8-track or cassette tapes of the early twentieth century. But sheet music is still relevant and being produced today. They’re also cherished by historians and music connoisseurs. You’ll find pianos, organs, violins, guitars, banjos, and other musical instruments in the aisles as [...]