Ediphone Master Shaver, circa 1945

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Artifact Overview

Dictaphones and Ediphones were sound recording devices largely used for oral dictation in business settings. In this scenario, wax cylinder recordings were passed to a secretary, who listened to the recording with a playback-only transcriber and then typed up notes. A shaving machine, such as this one, scraped the previously inscribed layer away allowing a wax cylinder to be reused over 100 times.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Shaving machine

Date Made

circa 1945

Creators

Place of Creation

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2014.0.17.136

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Chromium
Iron alloy
Steel (Alloy)

Dimensions

Height: 33 in
Width: 15 in
Length: 16 in

Inscriptions

front: Edison Master Shaver plaque: Directions . . . label, inside drawer: Edison Warranty . . . plaque, interior: Edison Ediphone [operating specifications] Shaver Model No 11130 Ser. No. 62968 Made Under One or More of the Following Patents: 1721913 . . . 2137383 Thomas A. Edison, Inc. West Orange, N.J. Made in United States of America plaque: Edison Ediphone Thomas A. Edison Shaver Mod No 11130 Serial No 64325 Made under one or more of the following U.S. Patents . . . 1721913 . . . 2137383 Thomas A. Edison, Inc., West Orange, N.U. Made in United States of America
Keywords
Ediphone Master Shaver, circa 1945