This outstanding double-CD of high-quality sound effects from bygone days—suitable for mixing and looping—provides a wide variety of period atmosphere for stage production and sound beds for TV, radio, and multimedia programs. All 69 tracks, totaling two and a half hours, were selected from both the British Library National Sound Archive and the collection of the Oscar-winning film sound mixer Peter Handford.

Disc 1:

Grouped into "Old England," "Street Traffic Over the Years," and "Changing Battles," the 35 tracks include atmospheres and spot effects composed of the sounds of windmills and watermills; horses, cars, and buses from the early 20th century; and warfare spanning the 17th century to World War II.

Disc 2:

Grouped into "London Scenes," "By the Sea," "Aboard a Sailing Ship," "On the Railways," "Entertainment and Leisure," "In the Air," and "Heavy Work," the 34 tracks include atmospheres and spot effects composed of the sounds of Victorian street activities, steam-age docks and railway stations, an Edwardian carnival, a 1950s airport, and a Victorian factory.