Robert Pernet’s collection includes over 7,000 records, making them a reference work for the history of Belgian jazz. Most of the records made no longer exist today: they were often destroyed once they had been listened to, or because they were scratched or damaged, or quite simply because they were no longer fashionable. Since there is no legal registration of copyright in this field, Robert Pernet’s collection represents an important source of information and it is thanks to collectors like him that this heritage has been preserved for future generations.
Among the most remarkable pieces is the first ever jazz recording on the Victor label, made in the USA in 1917, and a number of ‘picture records’ that have illustrations on both sides of the record itself.
