Phonozoic

Primary Text Library

When I first started this website back in 2000, it was challenging to find primary texts relating to early recorded sound online, so I transcribed and posted a number of them here. Since then, the landscape has changed drastically, rendering that original endeavor somewhat obsolete—but I've kept the old files online anyway, since they don't take up much space, and I suppose someone might find something here useful from time to time. That said, I've relocated the files to a "primtexts" subfolder to reduce clutter in my root directory, so please report any broken links to the appropriate referring site.

  • 002 "A Phonogram Library." Public Opinion VIII:14 (January 11, 1890) p. 348, reprinted from the San Francisco Examiner.

  • 003 "Uses of the Phonograph."  Public Opinion, VIII:7 (November 23, 1889), 171, reprinted from the Philadelphia Ledger.

  • 004 Dexter W. Allis, "Fun With the Phonograph," Scientific American, November 25, 1905, p. 415.

  • 005 [Syrian missionary on phonograph's ability to record Arabic] New York Times, October 7, 1879, p. 4.

  • 006 "The Phonograph," New York Times, November 7, 1877, p. 4.

  • 007 "Kisses By Phonograph.  The Limitless Possibilities of That Recording Instrument."  New York Times, December 3, 1888, p. 8. 

  • 008 "Phonograph Mars a Soiree.  Paris Husband Will Use Record Against Wife Accused of Improprieties."  Dated PARIS, Jan. 6. Chicago Sunday Tribune, January 7, 1906, III:2.

  • 009 "The Romantic and Practical Use of the Phonograph," Scientific American, March 10, 1894, p. 148.

  • 010 "The Speaking Phonograph," Scientific American Supplement, March 16, 1878, p. 1828.  Reprinted from the New York Sun.

  • 011 "The Phonograph Exhibited.  Prof. Arnold's Description of the Machine in Chickering Hall--Various Experiments, With Remarkable Results," New York Times, March 24, 1878, p. 2.

  • 012 "Saluting a Phonogram," Scientific American, March 25, 1899, p. 185.

  • 013 "The Phonograph," Harper's Weekly, March 30, 1878, pp. 249-50. 

  • 014 "A Visit to the Inventor of the Phonograph," Scientific American Supplement, April 20, 1878, pp. 1904-5.

  • 015 "The Edison Speaking Machine.  Exhibition Before Members of Congress--The Practical Uses to Which it May Be Applied."   Special Dispatch to the New York Times, dated Washington, April 19.  New York Times, April 20, 1878, p. 1.

  • 016 "The Phonograph as a Witness in a Nuisance Suit," Scientific American, April 21, 1894, p. 247.

  • 017 "A Time-Controlled Phonograph," Scientific American, April 6, 1907, p. 289.

  • 019 "Testing the Phonograph," New York Times, May 13, 1888, p. 5.

  • 020 "The Phonograph and its Future," North American Review, No. 126 (May-June 1878), pp. 527-36.

  • 025 "The Phonograph Explained Just What Ailed a Big Pump in California," Scientific American, Sept. 28, 1895, p. 197.

  • 027 "The Talking Phonograph," Scientific American, December 22, 1877, 384-5.

  • 028 "A Wonderful Invention.--Speech Capable of Indefinite Repetition from Automatic Records," Scientific American, November 17, 1877, 304.

  • 029 "The Talking Phonograph on Exhibition," Scientific American, February 9, 1878, p. 86.

  • 030 Item from the Philadelphia Record, reprinted in the Indianapolis News, Mar. 13, 1878, p. 2.

  • 031 "The Man Who Invents.  Tom Edison's Talk with a 'Post' Reporter.  The Wonderful Phonograph and its Eternal Voice--Description of the Man of Genius. --What he has Accomplished -- The Key of Science Only Touched."  Washington Post, April 19, 1878, p. 1

  • 035 "The Talking Machine," New York Daily Tribune, March 25, 1878.

  • 036 "Improving the Phonograph," New York Evening Post.  Reprinted in the Indianapolis News, March 28, 1878.

  • 037  "The Phonograph," Scientific American, March 30, 1878, p. 193.

  • 038 "Possibilities of the Phonograph," Cincinnati Commercial, reprinted in the Indianapolis News, March 30, 1878, p. 4.

  • 039 "The Phonograph Wins a Victory," Scientific American, June 22, 1878, p. 384.

  • 041 "Edison's New Phonograph," Scientific American, October 29, 1887, p. 273.  From the New York Evening Post.

  • 042 "Edison's Improved Phonograph," Scientific American, November 19, 1887, p. 328.  From the New York World.

  • 045 "The Perfected Phonograph," by Thomas A. Edison.  North American Review, No. 379, June 1888, pp. 641-50.

  • 046 "Sale of the Phonograph.  Said to Have Caused Edison and His Lawyer to Fall Out."  New York Times, January 19, 1889.

  • 047 "The Talking Doll," New York Times, February 17, 1889.

  • 048 "Phonograph in Medicine," New York Times, March 5, 1889.

  • 049 "The Talking Machine.  Cause of the Delay in Introducing Phonographs to Public Uses," New York Times, March 24, 1889.

  • 050 "Maury's Prophecy.  He Described a Talking Machine Nearly Fifty Years Ago," Washington Star, Jan. 23, 1890.   Reprinted New York Times, Jan. 26, 1890.

  • 051 "A Nickel Brings the Phonograph," New York Times, February 9, 1890.

  • 053 "Phonographs Ordered Out.  Fairmount Park Commissioners Say That They Transmit Disease," New York Times, July 29, 1890.

  • 054 "It Does Not Injure the Ear.  A Senseless Objection Raised Against the Phonograph," New York Times, July 30, 1890.

  • 059 "The Future of the Phonograph," Chicago Tribune, May 1, 1878.

  • 060 "Thomas A. Edison.  A Tribune Correspondent Visits Him at Menlo Park--Some of His Recent Extraordinary Discoveries and Inventions," Chicago Tribune, May 4, 1878.  Special Correspondence of The Tribune, by George H. Bliss.

  • 061 "The Phonograph.  Dom Pedro Will Grind Out Mr. Roach's Compliments and Congratulations," Chicago Tribune, May 6, 1878.

  • 062 "How Edison Amuses Himself," Cincinnati Saturday Night, reprinted Chicago Tribune, May 10, 1878. 

  • 063 "The Auraphone.  Edison's Very Latest--Extraordinary Development of the Phonograph," New York Star, reprinted Indianapolis News, May 21, 1878.

  • 064 "The Phonograph.  An Exhibition of Edison's Wonderful Talking Machine.  Many of the Experiments a Positive Success--Others the Reverse.   The Instrument Must Be Regarded as Only in Its Infancy," Chicago Tribune, May 23, 1878.

  • 065 "The Funny Phonograph.  Some New Facts About the Marvelous Machine.  The Wild Dream of a Writer of Fiction More than Realized.  A Hearing and Talking Instrument Combined," St. Louis Evening Post, May 30, 1878.

  • 066 A Skeptical Letter to the Editor, Chicago Tribune, May 12, 1878.

  • 067 "The Wonders of the Phonograph," letter to the editor, Chicago Tribune, May 16, 1878.

  • 068 "The Phonograph and Its Future," Chicago Tribune, May 31, 1878.

  • 069 Herwick C. Dodge, "The Speaking Phonograph," St. Louis Evening Post, May 31, 1878.

  • 070 "The Orthophone.  An Invention that Eclipses All of Edison's.  The Truth-Telling Machine a New Madrid Man Invented.  Some of the Little Eccentricities of the Contrivance.  How It Gives Utterance to Mental Reservations and Gives the Thinker Away."  St. Louis Evening Post, June 1, 1878.

  • 072 "The Phonograph.  Edison's Wonderful Invention to be Exhibited Here," Indianapolis News, June 6, 1878.

  • 073 "Edison's Phonograph," Indianapolis News, June 13, 1878.

  • 074 "The Amusement Record," Indianapolis Saturday Herald, June 15, 1878.

  • 075 "Amusements.  The Phonograph," Indianapolis News, June 15, 1878.

  • 076 "The Funny Phonograph.  An Actor's Scheme for a Grand Operatic Concert--Edison Makes one More Invention," St. Louis Evening Post, April 29, 1878, p. 1

  • 077 "Edison's Phonograph, Its History and Development," by Edward H. Johnson, of New York City.  Scientific American Supplement No. 743, March 29, 1890, p. 11872-3.

  • 078 "The Phonograph as a Wireless Detective," Literary Digest 63:8 (Nov. 22, 1918), p. 29.

  • 079 "Phonograph Pastors," Literary Digest 62:13 (No. 1536), Sept. 27, 1919, p. 28.

  • 081 "To Call Trains by Phonograph," Literary Digest 38:19 (No. 994), May 8, 1909, p. 795.

  • 083 "Improvement of the Phonograph," Literary Digest 22:12 (No. 570), Mar. 23, 1901, p. 350.

  • 085 "A Shouting Phonograph," Literary Digest 21:7 (No. 539), Aug. 18, 1900, p. 194.

  • 086 "The Future of the Phonograph," Literary Digest 21:2 (No. 534), July 14, 1900, p. 43. [Azoulay]

  • 087 "Reversing the Phonograph," Literary Digest 19:5 (No. 484), July 29, 1899, p. 136.

  • 088 "Islam and the Phonograph," by Snouck Hurgronje.  Moslem World 5 (1915), pp. 159ff.

  • 090 "Kissing Goes by -- Phonograph," Punch, Vol. 95, Dec. 22, 1888, p. 298.

  • 091 "Talking Machine," London Times, February 12, 1880.  FABER

  • 092 "Phonomime, Autophone, and Kosmophone," New York Times, June 11, 1878, p. 5.

  • 093 Franck Z. Maguire, "The Graphophone," Harper's Weekly Vol. XXX No. 1543, July 17, 1886, pp. 458-9.

  • 094 Joseph Faber biography.  Source: Constant von Wurzbach, Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Österreich: enthaltend die Lebensskizzen der denkwürdigen Personen, welche 1750 bis 1850 im Kaiserstaate und in seinen Kronländern gelebt haben.  60 Bde., Wien 1856-91.

  • 099 Early British Phonograph Exhibition, Nature Vol. XVII, Mar. 21, 1878, p. 415.

  • 102 "Helmholtz's Vowel Theory and the Phonograph," Nature, Vol. XVII, March 14, 1878, p. 384.

  • 103 "The Phonograph," Nature, Vol. XVII, March 28, 1878, p. 423 [Fleeming Jenkin]

  • 106 "Helmholtz's Vowel Theory and the Phonograph," Nature, Vol XVIII, May 23, 1878, p. 93.

  • 107 "Examination of the Phonograph Record Under the Microscope," Nature, Vol XVIII, May 23, 1878, p. 101-02.

  • 112 "The Phonograph at the Paris Exhibition," Nature, Vol XVIII, August 15, 1878, p. 424.

  • 113 "Charge of Ventriloquism," Nature, Vol XVIII, September 19, 1878, p. 553.

  • 114 "Not a Thinking Machine," Nature, Vol XVIII, October 10, 1878, p. 630.

  • 115 "Reading the Phonograph Record by Sight," Nature, Vol XVIII, October 3, 1878, p. 599.

  • 116 "Imprints of Italian Speech on the Phonograph," Nature, Vol XXI, November 6, 1879, p. 21.

  • 117 "The French Didn't Invent the Phonograph," Nature, Vol XXI, January 15, 1880, p. 266.

  • 118 "How to Build a Working Phonograph, With Drawings Made to a Scale of Half Size," Scientific American Supplement No. 133, July 20, 1878, p. 2112.

  • 119 "A Simple Phonograph," Scientific American XXIX:8 (August 24, 1878), p. 118.

  • 120 "The Euphonia, or Speaking Automaton," Illustrated London News, Vol. 9, July 25, 1846, p. 59.

  • 121 "The Euphonia, or Speaking Automaton," Illustrated London News, Vol. 9, Aug. 8, 1846, p. 96.

  • 122 "The Speaking Automaton," London Times, August 12, 1846, p. 3.

  • 123 "The Speaking Machine," Punch, Volume 11 (July-December 1846), p. 83.  Attributed to William Makepeace Thackeray. 

  • 124 "A Voice from Egyptian Hall," Punch, Volume 11 (July-December 1846), p. 64.

  • 125 "The Speaking Automaton on Railways," Punch, Volume 11 (July-December 1846), p. 143.

  • 126 "A Labor-Saving Machine for the Lawyer's Office," American Law Review, Vol. 25 (1891), p. 436-7.

  • 127 "The Phonograph," American Law Review, Vol. 26 (1892), p. 254-55.

  • 128 Philip G. Hubert, Jr. "What the Phonograph will do for Music and Music-Lovers," Scribner's Monthly 46 (1893:May/Oct.), pp. 152-4.  "Open Letters" section.

  • 129 Barnet Phillips, "A Record of Monkey Talk," Harper's Weekly Vol. 35 (1891), No. 1827, p. 1050.  Illustrations from p. 1036.

  • 130 Charles Cros, "Procédé d’enregistrement et de reproduction des phénomènes perçus par l’ouïe."  Comptes Rendus Hebdomaires des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences, Vol. 85 (July-December 1877), 1082-3.  Meeting of December 3, 1877.

  • 131 Abbé Lenoir ("Leblanc"), Description of the Cros "Phonographe," La Semaine du Clergé, October 10, 1877, reprinted in the Mercure de France, May 1, 1927, pp. 518-520.

  • 132 "Mrs. Barstinglow's Phonograph."  From the Burlington Hawkeye.  Reprinted as “Echoes from the Phonograph: What Mrs. Barstinglow Heard After Three Days’ Absence from Home,” The Sun, April 21, 1878 (omits final paragraph); and as “The Phonograph: An Evening with the Machine in a Western Town,” Evening Post, April 16, 1878.

  • 133 "The Phonograph in Congress," Philadelphia Times, April 25, 1878.

  • 134 "The Poetry of the Phonograph: Its Marvelous Feats and Capabilities -- Its Humors and Solemnities," Washington Post and Union, April 24, 1878

  • 135 The French phonograph patent of Charles Cros.  From the printed record of American Graphophone Company vs. United States Phonograph Company.  The French text has been corrected by comparison with the version given in Charles Cros, Inédits & Documents (1992).

  • 136 The French phonograph patent of Charles Cros.  From the printed record of American Graphophone Company vs. Berliner Gramophone Company. The text has been augmented by comparison with the version given in Charles Cros, Inédits & Documents (1992). 

  • 137 Le Comte Th. du Moncel's description of the Lambrigot Phonograph.  From the printed record of American Graphophone Company vs. United States Phonograph Company.  Cited as from Le Comte Th. du Moncel, Le Téléphone, le Microphone et le Phonographe.  Paris, 1880.

  • 138 Le Rappel Article on Cros' Phonograph (1877).  From the printed record of American Graphophone Company vs. United States Phonograph Company. 

  • 139 Cosmos Article on Carbonel phonograph.  From the printed record of American Graphophone Company vs. United States Phonograph Company.  From Cosmos Vol. 47, Sept-Dec 1878, pp. 590-591.

  • 140 The Delecheneau Phonograph.  From the printed record of American Graphophone Company vs. United States Phonograph Company.  From Comptes Rendus (1879) Vol. 88, p. 1140.

  • 141 Moncel on the Gamard Phonograph.  From the printed record of American Graphophone Company vs. United States Phonograph Company.  Cited as from Le Comte Th. du Moncel, Le Téléphone, le Radiophone et le Phonographe.  Paris, 1882.

  • 142 A Sixpenny Phonograph.  From the printed record of American Graphophone Company vs. United States Phonograph Company.  Engineering, Vol. 27, p. 326.  April 18, 1879.

  • 143 The Carbonel Phonograph.  From the printed record of American Graphophone Company vs. United States Phonograph Company.  Engineering, Vol. 27, p. 326.  April 18, 1879.

  • 145 Rene Bache, "DO MONKEYS HAVE SPEECH?  THE QUESTION TESTED AT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. Music for the Million Bottled by the Phonograph."  Brooklyn Times, September 21, 1890.

  • 146 "Phonograph is Now Used in Hypnotism," Phonoscope, April, 1898, p. 7.

  • 147 "Love and the Phonograph," Phonoscope, March, 1899, p. 15.

  • 148 "Talked Out of a Wife," Phonoscope, May, 1900, p. 7.

  • 149 "How Fryer Bacon made a Brasen head to speake, by the which hee would have walled England about with Brasse." Early Prose Romances, with Biographical and Historical Introductions, ed. William J. Thoms.  Vol. 1.  London: Nattali and Bond, 1858.

  • 150 The scene from Robert Greene's The Honorable Historie of Frier Bacon and Frier Bongay (1594) in which Friar Bacon's Brazen Head Speaks.  The Life and Complete Work in Prose and Verse of Robert Greene, M.A., Cambridge and Oxford, in Fourteen Volumes, ed. Alexander B. Grosart.  Volume 13.  Printed for Private Circulation, 1881-83.  

  • 151 Robert Ganthony.  "The Funnygraph."  From "Bunkum Entertainments: being a collection of original laughable skits on conjuring, physiognomy, juggling, performing fleas, waxworks, panorama, phrenology, phonograph, second sight, lightning calculators, ventriloquism, spiritualism, etc., to which are added humorous sketches, whimsical recitals, and drawing-room comedies.  London: L. Upcott Gill [circa 1900], pp. 56-62.

  • 152  Edward Bellamy.  "With the Eyes Shut."  Harper’s New Monthly Magazine 79 (October 1889): 736-45.

  • 153  O. Henry, "The Phonograph and the Graft." McClure's Magazine (Feb. 1903).

  • 154  Selection from The Openeer Papers (1900).

  • 155  John Philip Sousa, "The Menace of Mechanical Music," Appleton's Magazine, Vol. 8 (1906), pp. 278-284.

  • 1001  “Hunting Rabbits With Phonograph,” Chicago Tribune, December 13, 1903, p. 42.

  • 1002   “Traps the Sly Fox With a Phonograph,” from New York World, n Phonogram 4 (February 1902), 61-2.

  • 1003   “Novel Duck Decoy,” Indiana Evening Gazette (Indiana, Pennsylvania), Jan. 6, 1908, p. 3.

  • 1004    Homer Bassford, “The Phonographic Call,” from Detroit Free Press, in Boston Daily Globe, May 25, 1890  p. 19.

  • 1005    [Cartoon]: “Suggestions for Decatur Bicyclists,” Decatur Review (Decatur, Illinois), Sept. 23, 1906, p. 18.

 
 

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