About Phonographs

Edison Cylinder Phonograph

• The original cylinder phonograph invented by Thomas Edison worked by using a stylus, which made an indention into tin foil over a metal cylinder. It was composed of a diaphragm and needle for recording and another set for playing back the recording. When Edison spoke into the device, the stylus moved in a vertical groove pattern.

History

• The phonograph has its roots in 1857, when French printer Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville's phonautograph was patented on March 25, 1857. The phonautograph could record sound, but did not have a way of playing it back. French inventor Charles Cros improved on the theory but could not manufacture a working model. Thomas Edison was able to create a working phonograph when Charles Cros publicized his theory, so both men are credited with independent discoveries. Thomas Edison showcased his working phonograph on December 24, 1877.

Other Phonographs

• In 1886, the graphophone was patented. Charles Summer Tainter and Chichester Bell created vertically styled recording devices that used wax instead of tin cylinders. Emile Berliner, a German-born American inventor, created another version of a recording device a year later and called it a gramophone. This used a stylus that spiraled over a zinc disc.

Edison Disc Phonograph

• Although Thomas Edison's phonograph used cylinder technology, by the early 1900's, discs became the more popular choice among listeners and enthusiast. Victrolas, made by The Victor Talking Machine Company, dominated the market on listening devices. Thomas Edison took over the project for the Edison Disc Phonograph and released it in 1911. It was expensive at first, and disc costs had to be reduced. Although their reception was poor at first, eventually Edison's quality and durability won out and marketing ploys like challenging audiences to tell the difference between his recording and a live concert helped bolster his claims.

Victrolas

• Victorlas were a popular listening device marketed during the early 1900s and replaced the large horn with an internal system. The large cabinets were iconic enough to have the term "Victrola" applied to most every type of old phonograph, although it is an incorrect use of the word. Victrolas, phonographs, and many old-style listening devices have since become collector's items and are popular antiques for their historical significance, style and sentimental value.