The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

By "oldest record" I mean the age of the artefact not just the recording, so no re-issues need apply.

My oldest record is pictured below. Alberto del Campo was a pseudonym of Alberto de Bassini, son of the Italian baritone Achille de Bassini (1819-1881) and the soprano Rita Gabussi (1816-1891). Alberto, born in 1847, originally sang as a tenor but by 1890 had re-trained as a baritone. He is believed to have emigrated to the USA at about the time this Berliner 909X was recorded in New York on August 12th 1897, but I have been unable to discover when and where he died.

Berliner 9253, recorded 21st October 1898 (and several from 1899, one of them of Russell Hunting).

Berliner 964-XX, "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep" by J.W. Myers, recorded in late 1896 or early 1897.

I wonder if anyone on this forum has anything predating the (relatively) common 1895-98 seven-inch Berliners?

bfinan11 wrote:Berliner 964-XX, "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep" by J.W. Myers, recorded in late 1896 or early 1897.

I wonder if anyone on this forum has anything predating the (relatively) common 1895-98 seven-inch Berliners?

I've got a small pile of brown wax cylinders that could be as early as 1893, no way to verify, though.

My oldest record is Columbia #1155 (10" 78) "Hiawatha" by Columbia Orchestra. Circa 1903.

It is perhaps a stretch to call this a 'record' but it is at least a piece of a recording made in 1878. The tinfoil phonograph exhibitor cut up the recorded sheet and pasted pieces onto these trade cards to promote his business. It's only a small part of the recording but it really was made in 1878.

TinfoilPhono wrote:It is perhaps a stretch to call this a 'record' but it is at least a piece of a recording made in 1878. The tinfoil phonograph exhibitor cut up the recorded sheet and pasted pieces onto these trade cards to promote his business. It's only a small part of the recording but it really was made in 1878.

If this is a contest, race is over, gold medal for you, the Usain Bolt of phonographs is already posing for photos and throwing kisses to the cheer while the others are striving to cross the finish line!

CarlosV wrote:

TinfoilPhono wrote:It is perhaps a stretch to call this a 'record' but it is at least a piece of a recording made in 1878. The tinfoil phonograph exhibitor cut up the recorded sheet and pasted pieces onto these trade cards to promote his business. It's only a small part of the recording but it really was made in 1878.

If this is a contest, race is over, gold medal for you, the Usain Bolt of phonographs is already posing for photos and throwing kisses to the cheer while the others are striving to cross the finish line!

I have a 5000 year old clay pot with sound recorded on it. It says "Damnit, if you keep talking I'll never get this pot finished!

TinfoilPhono wrote:It is perhaps a stretch to call this a 'record' but it is at least a piece of a recording made in 1878. The tinfoil phonograph exhibitor cut up the recorded sheet and pasted pieces onto these trade cards to promote his business. It's only a small part of the recording but it really was made in 1878.

Game, Set, and Match!

Is it truly a record if you can't play it / there isn't enough of it left to play?