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Andre Blay collection

 Collection
Identifier: UA-10.3.309

Scope and Content

Andre Blay is known as "The Father of the Home Video Industry." His company Magnetic Video Corporation introduced the first pre-recorded movies to be sold to the public in 1977. The list included "Sound of Music," "Hello Dolly," and "Patton."

The Andre Blay collection is meant to preserve the history of the new industry of home video and home entertainment. The collection contains material related to Blay's business activities in Magnetic Video Corporation and Embassy Home Entertainment. Other materials include biographical information about Blay, articles and press releases; Magnetic Video catalogs, brochures and financial information; programming information, speeches, photographs, awards, audio and video about Blay and his companies. The collection contains an abundance of information about an industry that helped double the size of film studios from 1977 to 2000.

The collection also contains laser and video discs of Hollywood movies and music including Amityville II: The Possession, Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner, Breaker Morant, Dragonslayer, Eddie and the Cruisers: Rebel Rocker Lover Idol Vanished, Elton John: Visions, The Exterminator, Footloose, High Noon, Magic, Neil Diamond: The Jazz Singer, The Night Porter, Paradise, Rod Stewart: Tonight He's Yours, Saturday Night Fever, The Soldier, Star Trek II: The Wrath of the Khan, Summer Lovers, That Hamilton Woman, Zapped!

Dates

  • Creation: 1968 - 2013

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

Andre Blay (1937-2018) was born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. He received his BA in 1959 and MBA in 1970 both from Michigan State University. From 1960 to 1966 he worked at Corning Glass Works. He co-founded Stereodyne, Inc which which duplicated music on audiocassettes. In 1969 he founded Magnetic Video Corporation which duplicated video cassettes. In 1977 the company licensed major motion picture titles for the consumer market. Blay founded Embassy Home Entertainment in 1982 during the height of the market.

His many awards include Video Hall of Fame, Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame, MSU Business Alumni of Year, and CMU Executive in Residence. He has spoken twice to MSU MBA students, UCLA law students, CMU Business School, and High Point University entrepreneur students.

Extent

5 Cubic Feet (3 boxes and 2 laser disc players)

Language of Materials

English

Preservica Public URL

https://msu.access.preservica.com/archive/sdb%3Acollection|a4a5df9d-e84b-426d-afd6-d09a62342090/

Custodial History

Gift of Andre and Nancy Blay.

Legal Status

Copyright: Michigan State University except where copyright restrictions apply. Property Rights: Michigan State University

Title
Andre Blay Collection
Status
4 Published And Cataloged
Author
S. Roberts
Date
September 2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
  • TypeCollection

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository

Contact:
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330