This project is now complete! All audio files can be found on our catalog page: https://librivox.org/the-decoration-of-houses-by-edith-wharton/
Volunteers outside the USA: Ogden Codman died in 1951. The author's work is still protected by copyright in places, like Europe, where copyright is author's death plus 70 years.
The Decoration of Houses, a manual of interior design written by Edith Wharton with architect Ogden Codman, was first published in 1897. In the book, the authors denounced Victorian-style interior decoration and interior design, especially those rooms that were decorated with heavy window curtains, Victorian bric-a-brac and overstuffed furniture. They argued that such rooms emphasized upholstery at the expense of proper space planning and architectural design and were, therefore, uncomfortable and rarely used. Wharton and Codman advocated the creation of houses with rooms decorated with strong architectural wall and ceiling treatments, accentuated by well-suited furniture, rooms based on simple, classical design principles such as symmetry and proportion and a sense of architectural balance. The Decoration of Houses is considered a seminal work and its success led to the emergence of professional decorators working in the manner advocated by its authors. (Summary by Wikipedia)
- How to claim a part, and "how it all works" here
To find a section to record, simply look at point 5. below at the sections. All the ones without names beside them are "up for grabs." Click "Post reply" at the top left of the screen and tell us which section you'd like to read (include the section number from the left-most column in the reader list, please). Read points 6. to 8. below for what to do before, during and after your recording. - New to recording?
Please read our Newbie Guide to Recording! - Is there a deadline?
We ask that you submit your recorded sections within 1-2 months of placing your claim. Please note that to be fair to the readers who have completed their sections in a timely way, if you haven't submitted your recording(s) after two months, your sections will automatically be re-opened for other readers to claim, unless you post in this thread to request an extension. Extensions will be granted at the discretion of the Book Coordinator. If you cannot do your section, for whatever reason, just let me know and it'll go back to the pool. There's no shame in this; we're all volunteers and things happen.
Please do not sign up for more sections than you can complete within the two month deadline. - Where do I find the text?
Source text (please only read from this text!): http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40367
Please do not read footnotes when recording your chapters. Thanks!
And here's a nice article from February 2013 about the enduring legacy of this book (just for fun):
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/blogs/daily/2013/02/edith-wharton-decoration-of-houses-interior-design - Please claim sections (the numbers in the first column below)!
If this is your first recording, please let me know under which name or pseudonym you'd like to appear in the LibriVox catalogue. We can also link to a personal website/blog.
Prospective Prooflisteners: Please read the Listeners Wanted FAQ before listening! Level of prooflistening requested: standard
Please don't download or listen to files belonging to projects in process (unless you are the BC or PL). Our servers are not set up to handle the greater volume of traffic. Please wait until the project has been completed. Thanks!
======================================================Magic Window:
BC Admin
======================================================= - BEFORE recording:
Please check the Recording Notes:
http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6427#6430
Set your recording software to:
Channels: 1 (Mono)
Bit Rate: 128 kbps
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz - DURING recording:
Please leave no more than 0.5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning of your recording!
Make sure you add this to the beginning and end of your recording:
Start of recording (Intro)- "Chapter [number] of The Decoration of Houses. - This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
- If you wish, say:
"Recording by [your name]" - Say:
" The Decoration of Houses , by Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman . [Chapter]"
End of recording- At the end of the section, say:
"End of [Chapter]" - If you wish, say:
"Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]" - At the end of the book, say (in addition):
"End of The Decoration of Houses , by Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman . "
Please leave 5 seconds silence at the end of your recording, or 10 seconds for files longer than 30 minutes!
Also, please remember to check this thread frequently for updates! - AFTER recording:
Need noise-cleaning?
Listen to your file through headphones. If you can hear some constant background noise (hiss/buzz), you may want to clean it up a bit. The new (free) version 1.3.3. of Audacity (Mac/Win) has much improved noise-cleaning. See this LibriVox wiki page for a complete guide.
Save files as
128 kbps MP3
decorationofhouses_##_wharton.mp3 (all lower-case) where ## is your section number. (e.g. decorationofhouses_01_wharton.mp3)
ID3 V2 tags
(To find out more about ID3 tags, go to our wiki: http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/What_is_ID3)
Add the following tags to your .mp3 file (how you do this depends on which software you use – if you are unsure about ID3 tags, send me a message). Please mind upper and lower case!
Title: ## - [Section title]
Artist: Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman
Album: The Decoration of Houses
Please ignore tags for Genre and Track Number - these will be filled in automatically at the cataloguing stage.
Transfer of files (completed recordings)
Please always post in this forum thread when you've sent a file.
Also, post the length of the recording (file duration: mm:ss) together with the link.- Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader:
http://upload.librivox.org
(If you have trouble reading the image above, please message an admin) - You'll need to select the MC, which for this project is: ek - gloriana
- When your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread.
- If this doesn't work, or you have questions, please check our How To Send Your Recording wiki page.
- Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader:
Any questions?
Please post below or PM me.
