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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.
- Record Album, "March on Washington: The Official Album," 1963 - More than 250,000 civil rights advocates -- both African American and white -- showed up at this peaceful march on August 28, 1963, to support unity, jobs, and a new Civil Rights bill being proposed by President Kennedy. This LP record includes speeches by ten Civil Rights leaders heard at the Lincoln Memorial that day.
- August 28, 1963
- Collections - Artifact
Record Album, "March on Washington: The Official Album," 1963
More than 250,000 civil rights advocates -- both African American and white -- showed up at this peaceful march on August 28, 1963, to support unity, jobs, and a new Civil Rights bill being proposed by President Kennedy. This LP record includes speeches by ten Civil Rights leaders heard at the Lincoln Memorial that day.
- Record Album, "The Great March to Freedom: Rev. Martin Luther King Speaks," June 23, 1963 - Detroit's 1963 Walk to Freedom--a protest that grew to a national event attracting some 125,000 people--helped move the civil rights struggle to a new focus on the urban North. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., presented a prelude to his famous "I Have a Dream" speech here. Berry Gordy, the founder of the Motown Record Corporation, produced this record album documenting the event.
- June 23, 1963
- Collections - Artifact
Record Album, "The Great March to Freedom: Rev. Martin Luther King Speaks," June 23, 1963
Detroit's 1963 Walk to Freedom--a protest that grew to a national event attracting some 125,000 people--helped move the civil rights struggle to a new focus on the urban North. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., presented a prelude to his famous "I Have a Dream" speech here. Berry Gordy, the founder of the Motown Record Corporation, produced this record album documenting the event.
- Edison Gold Moulded Cylinder Record, "I'm Looking for the Man that Wrote the Merry Widow Waltz," 1908 - Edward M. Favor, a performer in Broadway musicals in the mid-1890s, had a clear, crisp voice that recorded well. "The Merry Widow Waltz" is from the extremely popular 1905 Franz Lehar operetta "The Merry Widow." In this song parody, a young man laments that this tune "oozes from cellars, and all the flat dwellers," -- and that his girl can't stop dancing to it!
- 1908
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Gold Moulded Cylinder Record, "I'm Looking for the Man that Wrote the Merry Widow Waltz," 1908
Edward M. Favor, a performer in Broadway musicals in the mid-1890s, had a clear, crisp voice that recorded well. "The Merry Widow Waltz" is from the extremely popular 1905 Franz Lehar operetta "The Merry Widow." In this song parody, a young man laments that this tune "oozes from cellars, and all the flat dwellers," -- and that his girl can't stop dancing to it!
- Edison Amberol Record, "Alexander's Ragtime Band," 1913 - This catchy 1911 tune capitalized on the popularity of ragtime music during the early 20th century. It was composer Irving Berlin's first big hit. The song was recorded by numerous artists over the years, including Billy Murray -- the most popular recording artist at the time. About 1920 the Victor Company stated that, through his recordings, Murray's was likely the most familiar voice in the world!
- 1913
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Amberol Record, "Alexander's Ragtime Band," 1913
This catchy 1911 tune capitalized on the popularity of ragtime music during the early 20th century. It was composer Irving Berlin's first big hit. The song was recorded by numerous artists over the years, including Billy Murray -- the most popular recording artist at the time. About 1920 the Victor Company stated that, through his recordings, Murray's was likely the most familiar voice in the world!
- Edison Gold Moulded Cylinder Record, "Closing Time at a Country Grocery," 1902 -
- 1902
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Gold Moulded Cylinder Record, "Closing Time at a Country Grocery," 1902
- Edison Recording Artists Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan, circa 1916 -
- February 25, 1920
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Recording Artists Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan, circa 1916
- Edison Recording Artists Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan, 1920 -
- February 25, 1920
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Recording Artists Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan, 1920