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Edison had the Copy write on the word "PHONOGRAPH". Victor nor anyone else could use the word.

Now I know what your thinking, "I thought ALL Phonograph's were called Phonograph's". Not back then they were.

Trying to give you the book that will tell you this is a little hard to do. I must have went crazy trying to understand this. I will try to give you the QUICK rundown on the words used for the machines back then.

Edison used the word "PHONOGRAPH"

Columbia Company used "GRAPHOPHONE" and "GRAFONOLA". (hey look!, if you say the word Graphophone backwards, it's Phonograph)

I will get into this later when I talk about the Columbia Company.

Victor used "TALKING MACHINE" and "VICTROLA".

Many other Companies used fancy names just like auto makers naming models of cars.

There were over 200 makers of Phonographs.

After the copy write expired for Edison, around 1920, most of the basic patents had expired, and many other companies began to produce talking machines; now generically known as phonographs. So we in turn also just use the word "PHONOGRAPH", as a generic phrase.

This is my:

"EDISON TRIUMPH A-1 PHONOGRAPH". Lid not shown in picture.

It dates around 1901. Weighs about 50 pounds and uses a 2 minute black cylinder record. (this is not something you want to take on a hiking trip up on a mountain, just to have some music with your wine and cheese)

Salesman offering a young girl to buy a record of the latest song.

Advertisement for Edison Home Phonograph

RECORDING A SONG

At the Edison Studio musicians and singer recording a song. Recording a song on cylinders took a very long time. To make many records at one time the musicians and singers would play in front of a recording device (the horn connected to a recorder Phonograph), even up to many recording devices. You could only record 1 song per 1 recorder, so they would use many recorders to do the job at one sitting. THEN they would have to start all over again to record more. Lets say the company needed 400 records of the same song. Well if you have 10 recorders hooked up, then you got 10 songs per sitting. They would have to play the same song 40 times to meet the demand. ( My lungs are tired already just thinking about it)

Notice the long horn connected to the recorder. I can imagine how this man feels after playing the piano 20 times or so, the same tune. This guy's going to get finger cramp's.

Another picture of

recording a piano.

Again, only 1 phonograph recorder.

THE AMBEROLA

First production of Amberola's were around 1910.

These were Edison's version of the inside horn machine as Johnson did with the Victrola line earlier.

There would be 3 models made.

Amberola 30 costing $30.00

Amberola 50 costing $50.00

Amberola 75 costing $75.00

The Amberola line only played 4 minute Blue color Cylinders. Many times they would use recordings off of the 2 minute Black cylinders to make copies onto the blue cylinders. Keeping the cost down on hiring recording artists and

musicians.

This is my:

AMBEROLA 50 TABLE MODEL

Some of the many shades of 4 minute

Blue Amberol Cylinders.

Everyone is listening to an Early Spring Phonograph. Listening Tubes attached.

WELCOME TO MY ANTIQUE

TALKING MACHINE WEB

SITE

TALKING MACHINE / PHONOGRAPH 101

I want to share with you a GREAT and SATISFYING hobby I started a couple of years ago.

On this site I will show you some pictures of some of my machines and give some information about them.

Links to "GREAT SITES" will be listed through out this site.

These sites are some of the ones I have picked to begin your experience with the 'TALKING MACHINE / PHONOGRAPH".

This is just a basic overview, which is why I call it

"Talking Machine /Phonograph 101".

There are three (3) Companies that collectors here in the States seek:

EDISON, VICTOR, COLUMBIA

They were the Major three Companies in America.

Finding parts to restore these machines come much easier then foreign makes.

(I am one to agree on that) I have a 1906 Path'e Model "G" from France.

INFORMATION AND PICTURES ON THIS WEB SITE DEALING WITH ANTIQUE TALKING

MACHINES / PHONOGRAPHS, WERE GATHERED FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES:

1. http://www.tinfoil.com/

2. http://www.oldcrank.com/

3. Mainspring Press Label Gallery: www.mainspringpress.com

4. Story of NIPPER: www.danbbs.dk/~erikoest/nipper.htm

5. Edison National Historic Site, West Orange, New Jersey.

6. "The Phonogram", 1891, Library of Congress, Recorded Sound Division.

7. "The Talking Machine News", September 1903, Courtesy Library of

Congress, Recorded Sound Division.

8. "Scientific American", December 22, 1900, Courtesy Library of Con-

gress, Adams Science Reading Room.

9. Antique Phonograph Advertising" by: Fabrizio/Paul, series on the

history of recorded sound ( by the way, GREAT series of books).

10. E. Berliner--Library of Congress

11. "Look for the Dog" by: Robert W. Baumbach

12. "Edison Cylinder Phonograph Companion" by: George L. Frow

13. Paul, My good friend in Thailand who has given me support and

information about the Path'e Phonograph.

CURRENT PICTURES OF PHONOGRAPHS / RECORDS --OWNED AND TAKEN BY AUTHOR OF THIS SITE.

We'll start with Edison, being he was the one who invented the Phonograph.

In 1877 Thomas Edison invented a crude machine that was hand operated and was named the Phonograph. To record sound, the person would speak loudly into the mouth piece. The sound waves are embossed by a stylus on a sheet of tin foil wrapped around a revolving cylinder. To replay the sound, a second stylus was run along the groove, picking up the vibrations and transmitting them to a diaphragm from which a copy of the original sound could be heard.

Between 1877 and 1886 Edison did very little to improve the Phonograph. He devoted much of his time to the perfection of the electric light.