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- Edison Water Motor Phonograph, circa 1890 - Early Edison phonographs were powered by electric motors or batteries, but electricity was not available to those outside of cities and large towns, and battery cells were cumbersome. Thomas Edison developed alternative power sources for his phonographs, offering treadle-driven and water-powered machines. This water motor model employed a small turbine that could be connected to a water faucet by a flexible hose.
- circa 1890
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Water Motor Phonograph, circa 1890
Early Edison phonographs were powered by electric motors or batteries, but electricity was not available to those outside of cities and large towns, and battery cells were cumbersome. Thomas Edison developed alternative power sources for his phonographs, offering treadle-driven and water-powered machines. This water motor model employed a small turbine that could be connected to a water faucet by a flexible hose.