The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

will the color help to date it? its an edison cylinder if that helps. its like a chocolate brown. thanks

Color, if I am not mistaken, has more to do with how long the batch of wax has been 'cooking', than with the age of the cylinder. Earlier in the batch, the wax comes out lighter, and darkens after prolonged heating.

- Bill

yeah, i didnt mean the color changes over time, i meant apparently very early brown wax cylinders are lighter and they slowly got darker as edison learned that they would be more durable if baked longer. thanks for the help tho

The myth that early cylinder records are lighter than later cylinders has plagued us collectors for a long time. While it's true that the earliest cylinders of the 1887-88 period are nearly white in color, and most cylinders of the 1901- early 1902 period are darker brown, there are MANY fluctuations in this pattern that prevent such blanket dating conventions.

As mentioned by Lucius 1958, the color variations are the result of cooking temperature.

It should also be pointed out that Edison was not the largest producer of cylinder records in the 1890s - that was Columbia.

Below is a picture of cylinder records of various ages:

In front, a Columbia from the 1892-93 period, with the title/artist slip glued to the rim.

Middle left: an 1889-1890 Edison cylinder with a thread-lined core.

Middle right: a "channel rim" cylinder of the 1890-1896 period.

Rear: two 5-inch cylinders, which were not available to the public until 1899.

George P.

thanks

You're welcome.

George P.