Oh! How She Could Yacki, Hacki, Etc.

Object NamePhonograph cylinder

Manufacturer Thomas A. Edison Inc. (American, 1894 - 1918)

Date1910

OriginUSA

MediumWax

Dimensions4 × 7 in. (10.2 × 17.8 cm)

ClassificationsMusical Instruments

Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Maynard Ukena. In the Farm House Museum Collection, Farm House Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object number84.23.10a

Status

On view

Collections

Household objects, Musical instruments and Tools

CultureAmerican

Label TextFirst invented in 1877, Thomas Edison’s cylinder phonograph was a groundbreaking technological achievement. For the first time in human history, a device could both record and play back sound. By speaking into a funnel, vibrations directed a needle to engrave sound waves onto a rotating metal cylinder covered in tinfoil, later replaced by wax for improved durability. The device captured the imagination of the American public through its frequent display at exhibitions, but its high price meant few could afford to own one. Although costs eventually fell and many middle-class Americans were able to purchase a phonograph, problems with the cylinders persisted. Even with wax coatings, they were fragile, offered limited capacity, and recordings could not be reproduced on a large scale. By the early 1910s, many companies shifted towards disc phonographs, which solved these issues and quickly eclipsed the cylinder format. Though eventually abandoned, the cylinder phonograph was a revolutionary invention that transformed entertainment and communication, laying the foundation for technology we continue to enjoy. https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/history-ofedison-sound-recordings/history-of-the-cylinder-phonograph/

Locations