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- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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!
- Letter from Thomas Edison to Henry Ford, February 13, 1915 -
- February 13, 1915
- Collections - Artifact
Letter from Thomas Edison to Henry Ford, February 13, 1915
- Wax Cylinder Record, "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," 1896-1901 - In 1878, African-American composer James A. Bland -- born in the North into an educated, middle-class family -- wrote this ballad sentimentalizing the Old South for the minstrel stage. Bland's skill as a composer made this song a popular piece in the late 19th century. With the introduction of affordable phonographs and recordings, favorite songs could be now enjoyed at the drop of a phonograph needle.
- 1896-1901
- Collections - Artifact
Wax Cylinder Record, "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," 1896-1901
In 1878, African-American composer James A. Bland -- born in the North into an educated, middle-class family -- wrote this ballad sentimentalizing the Old South for the minstrel stage. Bland's skill as a composer made this song a popular piece in the late 19th century. With the introduction of affordable phonographs and recordings, favorite songs could be now enjoyed at the drop of a phonograph needle.
- 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.
- 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.