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- Blue Amberol Cylinder Record, "Virginia Reel," 1927 - During the 1920s, Henry Ford organized an "Old Time Orchestra" to play at dances Ford hosted to teach his friends and business associates the dances of Ford's rural youth. In 1925, Thomas Edison's staff traveled to Dearborn, Michigan, to record Ford's orchestra. For this recording, they set up their equipment at Fair Lane, Ford's home, capturing the orchestra playing this American country dance.
- 1927
- Collections - Artifact
Blue Amberol Cylinder Record, "Virginia Reel," 1927
During the 1920s, Henry Ford organized an "Old Time Orchestra" to play at dances Ford hosted to teach his friends and business associates the dances of Ford's rural youth. In 1925, Thomas Edison's staff traveled to Dearborn, Michigan, to record Ford's orchestra. For this recording, they set up their equipment at Fair Lane, Ford's home, capturing the orchestra playing this American country dance.
- Cylinder Shaving Machine, circa 1907 - 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.
- circa 1907
- Collections - Artifact
Cylinder Shaving Machine, circa 1907
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.
- Edison Diamond Disc Record, "Charmant Oiseau (from La Perle de Brasil)" and a Message for Thomas Edison, 1915 - This rare recording was the brainchild of Thomas Edison's Chief Engineer Miller R. Hutchison. A group of Edison's friends and business associates gathered at Edison's West Orange, New Jersey, laboratory as this pre-recorded speech was played during a telephone call made to Edison over the newly completed transcontinental telephone line. Edison was visiting the 1915 Pan-American Exhibition in San Francisco on the opposite coast. This recording was never sold commercially.
- October 21, 1915
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Diamond Disc Record, "Charmant Oiseau (from La Perle de Brasil)" and a Message for Thomas Edison, 1915
This rare recording was the brainchild of Thomas Edison's Chief Engineer Miller R. Hutchison. A group of Edison's friends and business associates gathered at Edison's West Orange, New Jersey, laboratory as this pre-recorded speech was played during a telephone call made to Edison over the newly completed transcontinental telephone line. Edison was visiting the 1915 Pan-American Exhibition in San Francisco on the opposite coast. This recording was never sold commercially.
- Edison Type E Motor, 1911-1929 -
- 1911-1929
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Type E Motor, 1911-1929
- Edison Diamond Disc Record, "Varsovienne" and "Heel and Toe Polka," 1926 - During the 1920s -- the "Jazz Age" -- Henry Ford led a nationwide revival of rural fiddling and old-fashioned dancing. Ford's "Old Time Orchestra" played at dances Ford hosted, while a dance instructor called the steps. After the orchestra performed at the New York Automobile Show in 1926, Edison recorded them at his New Jersey laboratory and included several selections in his record catalog for sale to the public.
- 1926-1929
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Diamond Disc Record, "Varsovienne" and "Heel and Toe Polka," 1926
During the 1920s -- the "Jazz Age" -- Henry Ford led a nationwide revival of rural fiddling and old-fashioned dancing. Ford's "Old Time Orchestra" played at dances Ford hosted, while a dance instructor called the steps. After the orchestra performed at the New York Automobile Show in 1926, Edison recorded them at his New Jersey laboratory and included several selections in his record catalog for sale to the public.
- Ediphone, 1917-1925 - Dictaphones and Ediphones were sound recording devices used for efficient oral dictation in business settings. When Edison invented the phonograph, one proposed use was "dictation without the aid of stenographers." Its tinfoil playback medium lacked quality, however. Alexander Graham Bell's Graphophone (later, Dictaphone) improved the phonograph by using wax cylinders for superior playback; cylinders were also used in the competing Ediphone.
- 1917-1925
- Collections - Artifact
Ediphone, 1917-1925
Dictaphones and Ediphones were sound recording devices used for efficient oral dictation in business settings. When Edison invented the phonograph, one proposed use was "dictation without the aid of stenographers." Its tinfoil playback medium lacked quality, however. Alexander Graham Bell's Graphophone (later, Dictaphone) improved the phonograph by using wax cylinders for superior playback; cylinders were also used in the competing Ediphone.
- Edison Blue Amberol Record, "Heel and Toe Polka," Take 3, Performed by the Ford Orchestra, 1912-1929 -
- 1912-1929
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Blue Amberol Record, "Heel and Toe Polka," Take 3, Performed by the Ford Orchestra, 1912-1929
- Edison Business Phonograph, circa 1912 - Dictaphones and Ediphones were sound recording devices used for efficient oral dictation in business settings. When Edison invented the phonograph, one proposed use was "dictation without the aid of stenographers." Its tinfoil playback medium lacked quality, however. Alexander Graham Bell's Graphophone (later, Dictaphone) improved the phonograph by using wax cylinders for superior playback; cylinders were also used in the competing Ediphone.
- circa 1912
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Business Phonograph, circa 1912
Dictaphones and Ediphones were sound recording devices used for efficient oral dictation in business settings. When Edison invented the phonograph, one proposed use was "dictation without the aid of stenographers." Its tinfoil playback medium lacked quality, however. Alexander Graham Bell's Graphophone (later, Dictaphone) improved the phonograph by using wax cylinders for superior playback; cylinders were also used in the competing Ediphone.
- Ediphone Voicewriter, 1930-1950 - Dictaphones and Ediphones were sound recording devices used for efficient oral dictation in business settings. When Edison invented the phonograph, one proposed use was "dictation without the aid of stenographers." Its tinfoil playback medium lacked quality, however. Alexander Graham Bell's Graphophone (later, Dictaphone) improved the phonograph by using wax cylinders for superior playback; cylinders were also used in the competing Ediphone.
- 1930-1950
- Collections - Artifact
Ediphone Voicewriter, 1930-1950
Dictaphones and Ediphones were sound recording devices used for efficient oral dictation in business settings. When Edison invented the phonograph, one proposed use was "dictation without the aid of stenographers." Its tinfoil playback medium lacked quality, however. Alexander Graham Bell's Graphophone (later, Dictaphone) improved the phonograph by using wax cylinders for superior playback; cylinders were also used in the competing Ediphone.
- Pro-technic Ediphone, 1930-1940 - Dictaphones and Ediphones were sound recording devices used for efficient oral dictation in business settings. When Edison invented the phonograph, one proposed use was "dictation without the aid of stenographers." Its tinfoil playback medium lacked quality, however. Alexander Graham Bell's Graphophone (later, Dictaphone) improved the phonograph by using wax cylinders for superior playback; cylinders were also used in the competing Ediphone.
- 1930-1940
- Collections - Artifact
Pro-technic Ediphone, 1930-1940
Dictaphones and Ediphones were sound recording devices used for efficient oral dictation in business settings. When Edison invented the phonograph, one proposed use was "dictation without the aid of stenographers." Its tinfoil playback medium lacked quality, however. Alexander Graham Bell's Graphophone (later, Dictaphone) improved the phonograph by using wax cylinders for superior playback; cylinders were also used in the competing Ediphone.