A Very Strange Request

[phono-smitten]

There are more sellers of these books listed on Amazon that might be easier to contact:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/ ... 1394735008
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/ ... 1394735081

Funny, I had never been much of a collector until I became interested in talking machines. Now while constantly searching ads, auctions, etc. for phonograph related items I run across interesting things that I have memories of and have started collecting those as well. It's pretty cool to be able to once again open a book I remember my father reading to me as a child.

I'm feeling kind of foolish about all this

No need, this is the beauty of crowdsourcing! I'm happy to help where I can. It's the least I can do in return for all the great info everyone shares here. Good luck!

Dee

[tomwil]

I don't want to jump the gun here, but those covers look kind of familiar - - especially Music in Our Times. I opened the link you provided but it won't let me ask the seller a question without being a Twitter person...

Music In Our Times still seems to have a copyright, which prohibits a public electronic copy to be viewable.

However, it was scanned by Univ of Michigan, and word searches can be performed on its contents here:

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=m ... 5023373601
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=m ... 5009632418

For example, if you search on "History Phonograph", you get a match on page 122 or page 167, depending on the volume.

Reference:

http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001552231
http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/002496711

[phonogfp]

I'm very grateful to Tom and others who have sent PMs with suggestions. These search engines are particularly useful. Unfortunately, searching for "Emile Berliner" and/or "Eldridge Johnson" brings up nothing, and I vividly remember both men (along with Tainter) being mentioned in that little history found in our music book.

So far, no bell-ringer, but - - as Edison would say - - we've eliminated a few titles that we know aren't the right ones!

Thanks again - - you guys are great.

George P.

[tomwil]

These search engines are particularly useful. Unfortunately, searching for "Emile Berliner" and/or "Eldridge Johnson" brings up nothing, and I vividly remember both men (along with Tainter) being mentioned in that little history found in our music book.

I have since been able to view an ebook of the 1967 version of Music In Our Times here, and it does have a large section called "The World Of Sound In Hi-Fi" which mentions the phonograph and how it integrates into a stereo system, but not the history as you described. Not sure what the 1959 version would have had.

[phonogfp]

SO CLOSE!

Thanks again for your help. I'm impressed with some forum members' ability to find these books...

George P.