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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 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 Talking Doll Phonograph with Cylinder Records, 1888 - Thomas Edison's 1878 patent for a "phonographic" doll resulted in the production of about 100 "talking" dolls between 1889 and 1890. This doll "talked" by means of a scaled-down phonograph inside its body, which played nursery rhymes like "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Only made for a short time, the doll's mechanism was unreliable and the recorded voices scared children.
- 1888
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Talking Doll Phonograph with Cylinder Records, 1888
Thomas Edison's 1878 patent for a "phonographic" doll resulted in the production of about 100 "talking" dolls between 1889 and 1890. This doll "talked" by means of a scaled-down phonograph inside its body, which played nursery rhymes like "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Only made for a short time, the doll's mechanism was unreliable and the recorded voices scared children.
- Thomas Edison Perfecting His Wax Cylinder Phonograph, 1888 - Throughout his life, Thomas Edison continued to develop the phonograph he had invented in 1877. On June 11, 1888, Edison launched a round-the-clock session with his assistants to perfect the phonograph. When he emerged from his West Orange, New Jersey, laboratory days later, the exhausted, slumping inventor posed for this photograph with his improved machine.
- June 10, 1888
- Collections - Artifact
Thomas Edison Perfecting His Wax Cylinder Phonograph, 1888
Throughout his life, Thomas Edison continued to develop the phonograph he had invented in 1877. On June 11, 1888, Edison launched a round-the-clock session with his assistants to perfect the phonograph. When he emerged from his West Orange, New Jersey, laboratory days later, the exhausted, slumping inventor posed for this photograph with his improved machine.
- Edison Amberol Record, "I Want to be a Janitor's Child," 1912 - In this comic song about class distinctions, a wealthy stockbroker's daughter envies the janitor's girl. This wealthy child lives an overly protected lifestyle and "has" to go to Europe once a year. She prefers the freedom and simpler activities of the lower class janitor's child who doesn't "wear fussed up clothes" and enjoys the amusements at Coney Island twice a week.
- 1912
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Amberol Record, "I Want to be a Janitor's Child," 1912
In this comic song about class distinctions, a wealthy stockbroker's daughter envies the janitor's girl. This wealthy child lives an overly protected lifestyle and "has" to go to Europe once a year. She prefers the freedom and simpler activities of the lower class janitor's child who doesn't "wear fussed up clothes" and enjoys the amusements at Coney Island twice a week.
- 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 Gold Moulded Cylinder Record, "He Lost Her in the Subway," 1907 - Ada Jones was the first female popular singer to have a career making records. Her popular song recordings were largely humorous ones wherein she demonstrated her skill at using dialects. In this song, "the train began to swerve, we went around a curve" and 14 men fell into her lap! She found a man she liked more than her brand new husband!
- 1907
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Gold Moulded Cylinder Record, "He Lost Her in the Subway," 1907
Ada Jones was the first female popular singer to have a career making records. Her popular song recordings were largely humorous ones wherein she demonstrated her skill at using dialects. In this song, "the train began to swerve, we went around a curve" and 14 men fell into her lap! She found a man she liked more than her brand new husband!