2012 Past Exhibits
Highlights from the Tower Records Collection
Location: CSH Reading Room; Robert T. Matsui Gallery
Exhibition Dates: October 1, 2012 – April 15, 2013
Announcement: Postcard (pdf); Bumper Sticker (pdf)
“No Music, No Life.” With that statement, Tower Records declared itself more than just a music store. From its founding in 1960 until its closure in 2006, Tower was a gathering place, a library, a barometer of cultural trends and a one-time icon of the U.S. retail market.
Ultimately, the Tower Records business model – large stores with deep music catalogs – couldn’t compete in the age of digital downloads and discount retailers. But the spirit and history of this pioneering music lives on.
In 2009, founder Russ Solomon donated over 200 boxes of Tower-related history – artwork, photographs, memorabilia, awards, business records and correspondence, office furnishings and even the neon signs form the first stand-along store – to the Center for Sacramento History.
“Highlights from the Tower Records Collection” offers viewers a glimpse into the history of a ‘little record shop’ form Sacramento that grew into a major international business. Around the globe, Tower Records stood for more than music – Tower was a way of life.
This exhibition is presented by the Center for Sacramento History; curated by Rebecca Crowther.