The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

this is such an amazing machine! I remeber posting the thread when i first saw this on ebay! i still cant believe it came out of the wood work!!! Congratulations on getting it! its an amazing machine!!!!!

Aaron

John H. White is an important figure in the talking machine history. I cite Raymond R. Wile (Etching the Human Voice: The Berliner Invention of the Gramophone):

On November 18, 1887, Berliner suffered another blow. He had applied for an additional patent on November 7, 1887, [on "Gramophone"] and he was now informed that his application was being placed in interference with one by John H. White who in his specifications showed a laterally undulating record cut into wax.

White's application comprised a system with a combination of a diaphragm, a pivoted stylus and a laterally undulating sound record cut into wax. In Berliner's testimony the cutting into wax also was emphasized.

It is possible that Berliner’s later reluctance to cut directly into wax stemmed from his experience in this interference. [My emphasis]

[White’s application was abandoned on March 31, 1888 and is now lost to history.]

There was another John H. White, an official reporter of debates, who convinced Tainter in early 1887 that the graphophone was ready to be put on the market. Soon after White became one of seven directors of the American Graphophone Company.

A true beauty

Aloha

Nipper