The phonograph was invented by Thomas Alva Edison in Menlo Park, New Jersey in 1877. Edison, who lost most of his hearing as a child, had an ongoing interest in sound transmission and recording for his entire life. He invented a system in which sound vibrations could be captured and transferred to an embossing point. The vibrations were then impressed on to a piece of tin foil wrapped around a cylinder, which could be used to play back the sound. Edison was awarded a patent for his invention in 1878.
After several improvements and shakeups in the industry, the phonograph became a mass- marketable entertainment device available to the public. Early phonographs played cylinders, which had good quality sound but a limited playback length. When the disc record was invented, Edison's competitors adapted their phonographs to play this type of recording. Edison opposed records at first due to their poorer sound quality, but caved in to public demand in 1913 and also adapted his phonograph to play records.
Antique phonographs, gramophones, Victrolas for sale. Edison, Victor, Columbia. Detailed images, real old time music. Frequently updated. Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover.
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Early phonographs operated by a crank and had large horns for speakers. In the '30s, vinyl records were produced, and after World War II, the long-playing record was introduced, helping to grow the popularity of the phonograph. The all-transistor portable phonograph known as the record player remained popular into the '90s, and records are still produced by some popular artists today.
Brunswick Phonograph Models
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- Brunswick begins selling Brunswick-branded phonographs. 1920 Brunswick's phonograph cabinet business leads to the creation of the Brunswick Record label. Brunswick recorded a wide variety of music in New York City and a variety of regional locations inside and outside the United States. The first record under the Brunswick Record label appeared.
- Brunswick Brunswick-Balke-Collender. In Roll Back The Years, Edward Moogk (National Library of Canada, 1975) p.62 mentioned: 'There was no letup in the flood of new companies during 1917, and Toronto continued as the phonograph distribution capital. That year marked the debut in Canada of one of the great names in the industry.
Quick Facts
Brunswick Victrola
- The technology that Edison used to invent the phonograph also made sound in movies possible
- The Victor Talking Machine company produced phonographs with the brand name Victrola. These phonographs had an inner horn. They were large and encased in finished wood so that the Victrola was like a piece of furniture
- The highest price ever paid for an antique phonograph was $40,000 for an Edison Spectacle machine, one of the rarest phonographs