1878 HARPER'S WEEKLY PAGE SHOWING EDISON'S TIN FOIL SKETCH...

[fmblizz]

No sure where this should be posted but wanted to share this new acquisition with the group. Not too shabby for $10.00 plus I already had a frame for it. LOL. This is a sketch made by C.A. Keetels showing the Tin Foil machine. This is an original single page #256 taken from the Harper's Weekly magazine printed only 3 months after Edison applied for a patent for his phonograph invention. The date as shown is March 30, 1878

Click on the image to enlarge for greater details and handwritten explanations of Edison's new invention.

blizz

[AllenKoe]

A fine and famous illustration, showing the "Brady-style" model of tinfoil phonograph. A great display item...

IIRC, there were NINE of these flywheel models made in early 1878, and TAE posed with one (alone) in the Brady photo (in WDC), and also with Painter and Batchelor. I believe TWO of these machines still exist.

A recent article in The Antique Phonograph (Sep 2022) also describes how they were first brought to France and England. One of them was unpacked on the ship during the trip and operated (by Edison's rep, Theodor Puskas) to the delight of the other passengers. A contemporary account states that "God Save the Queen" was recorded (and played) several times.

Allen

[fmblizz]

Thanks for that background information. I find lately that I'm at the point where I've become just as interested in the history and evolution of the different talking machine as I am in the machines themselves..

blizz

[AllenKoe]

Glad to help, Blizz,

Can I assume you also have the extensive accompanying article that went with the large engraving? That was on p. 249, same issue of Harper's.

Allen

[fmblizz]

I do not have the magazine. This was just a single page listing that I purchased on Ebay. I will now be on the lookout for the complete magazine issue if price is reasonable.

Thanks for the heads up Allen

Blizz