‘X-Ray Music’ replicates Soviet-era bootlegged records at Bird Library
Alexander Zhiltsov | Staff Photographer
“X-ray Music: The Bone Records of Soviet Russia and the Art of Bootlegging” was featured in Bird Library’s commons from Feb. 4 to Feb. 28. The exhibit displayed replicated x-ray records, showcasing the banned music of Soviet Russia.
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Stephen Singer’s final project for a class in Syracuse University’s museum studies master program was to put together a final project exhibit proposal. After he graduated, he brought the plan to life with a series of replicas of X-ray records at SU’s Bird Library.
“I collect records myself and so (the exhibit) is an offshoot of that,” Singer said. “I believe in music as objects, kind of like artifacts. There’s something magical for me.”
The staff-curated exhibit, “X-ray Music: The Bone Records of Soviet Russia and the Art of Bootlegging,” was displayed in Bird Library’s Miron Learning Commons from Feb. 4-28. The exhibit housed a collection of replicated X-ray records, showcasing a way that people in the Soviet Union would bootleg and listen to music that was outlawed by the government.
Genres of music that were bootlegged ranged from mainstream Western music, featuring rock and roll artists like Elvis Presley and The Beatles, to niche artists including Nico and The Velvet Underground. Classical music that had been banned was also bootlegged.
The records were made by people in the Soviet Union who found discarded music media in hospitals. They would use a recording device to etch the music onto X-ray films, creating records on images of fractured ankles or broken ribs. Singer then compiled replications of these records for the display.
“The meta part of the exhibit is that they are bootlegs of bootlegs,” Singer said.
The staff at Bird Library like to display items that can point towards other resources at the library. Abby Kasowitz-Scheer, head of SU Libraries’ Department of Learning and Academic Engagement, said this method creates a multi-layered experience for students who pass by and look at the exhibit.
“Sometimes seeing objects helps to bring history to life, a little more than just reading a book or reading about it in other ways,” Kasowitz-Scheer said. “I think that can help engage people and help students learn in more of a multimedia way.”
Alexander Zhiltsov | Staff Photographer
The exhibit featured bootlegged music, ranging from rock ‘n’ roll to classical. Featured artists include Elvis Presley, The Beatles and The Velvet Underground.
Grace Suhadolnik aided in this process by creating a research guide that takes students to a series of books in the library, reflecting themes of the exhibition. She said the staff puts up these kinds of exhibitions about once a month to expose students to knowledge they might not otherwise get.
Suhadolnik also put the physical display together, setting up the various cases and replicating bone records. She put a QR code on the exhibit that linked to related resources in the library.
The records themselves are interesting and engaging for students to look at, with many of them being different colors, shapes and sizes. It also calls attention to a moment in history that many people are not familiar with, Kasowitz-Scheer said.
“I think the visual element is pretty striking. Seeing a record that’s basically an X-ray. You don’t see that very often,” Kasowitz-Scheer said. “I think the whole story is just very fascinating.”
Both Singer and Kasowitz-Scheer plan to emulate more of what students want to see in these staff-curated exhibits. They want to have a forum where students can give their feedback on aspects of their culture they would like to see displayed. This can offer a sense of belonging, especially to international students, Singer said.
Similar international exhibits have been implemented in the library before. In April 2024, the Uzbekistan Cultural Exhibition showcased different items from traditional Uzbek culture, including musical instruments and clothing.
Kasowitz-Scheer said the goal of the exhibit program is to engage the campus community while reflecting a variety of topics that students would be interested in seeing.
“I like the exhibits to be educational, but also entertaining,” Singer said. “I tend to do something that’s a little bit quirky to amuse and be accessible to as many people as possible.”
Published on March 3, 2025 at 10:39 pm
Contact Irene: iclekaki@syr.edu
