Wax Cylinder Record, "Just One Girl" and "Sweet Rosie O'Grady," 1896

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Artifact Overview

Recording technology in the late 19th and early 20th century made it easy for amateurs who owned a phonograph to make home recordings--even if the singers weren't always the best! Here, a man sings popular songs of the early 1900s. Home recordings like this one capture an ephemeral moment in time--a rare auditory slice of the everyday past.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Cylinder (Sound recording)

Date Made

1896

Creator Notes

Vocal performance by Will Denny; cylinder manufactured by the National Phonograph Company.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

94.0.28.213

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Wax
Cardboard
Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Molding (forming)

Color

Brown

Dimensions

Height: 4.563 in
Diameter: 2.625 in

Wax Cylinder Record, "Just One Girl" and "Sweet Rosie O'Grady," 1896