The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

TinfoilPhono wrote:How wet plate collodion photographs are made.

A lot of work but it's fun.

I long wanted to try my hand at making Daguerrotypes, but decided the risk of working with iodine, bromide and mercury vapors was not worthwhile.

A working camera from the era is indeed rare. I do actually have one (documented to 1864) but it is too valuable to actually use, given the risk of damage from silver nitrate or accident.

Fundamentally, however, a camera is just a light-tight box. What matters is the lens. And I do use lenses from the period. My main lens is documented to 1874, I have another from 1864, and 'landscape' outdoor lenses from the 1880s. My main camera was made ca. 1920 so it's an antique, even if not from the wet plate era. (My other cameras are modern reproductions fitted with antique lenses.)

There are ways to minimize risk of dangerous chemicals in daguerreotypy but the main barrier is simply cost. Equipment is extraordinarily expensive and each plate costs a small fortune. Wet plate requires some investment in equipment but much less than daguerreotypy, and the glass and metal plates are negligible, especially compared to a daguerreotype plate.

Wet plate has its own dangerous chemicals, notably cadmium bromide (a carcinogen), ether, and cyanide. Handle with care.

The doll recording ladies must have had sore throats after a few 'rounds' - they sure seem to be screaming !

Edisone wrote:The doll recording ladies must have had sore throats after a few 'rounds' - they sure seem to be screaming !

I noticed that the engraving shown depicted several blanks lined up on the same Phonograph: could they not have arranged a pantograph mechanism, so that multiple recordings could be made at the same time?

Bill

some dolls coming up for sale on April 20th

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Madame-Hendren- ... 3f4a944132
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Madame-Hendren- ... 3f4a94409f
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Madame-Hendren- ... 3f4a9440b7
So if anyone wants one....looks like this might be your chance.

oh..and another with bids going with 2 days left.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PARTY-TIME-MADA ... 1e9d23171b

guess these are not actually Edison dolls though.

and another

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AVERILL-DOLLY-R ... 25a44baf13

oh this one is neat...it plays little records..heh..very cute!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-70s-Blo ... 463327be97

Just my two cents worth...the composition dolls from the 1920's are nice collector items, and, they certainly have their place in the latter part of the mechanical phonograph trade. However, the Edison Doll will forever serve as one of the most significant accomplishments, although vastly over-looked by the majority of collectors, in the history of recorded sound. The doll actually pre-dated the commercially available Edison Phonograph, thus was the first product that Edison manufactured which represented the reproduction of sound that he offered to the public for purchase. As TinFoilPhono has elluded to, they are exceedingly rare if complete, and rare indeed to even find one without the mechanism. As has been mentioned, replica mechs were produced in very limited quantities, and in very differing quality. A doll with a quality replica mech that is deemed to be good condition would also be very rare indeed.