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“On This Day in the History of Recorded Sound…”

March 20, 1900: Thomas Lambert was granted a U.S. patent (No.645,920) for molding cylinder records in celluloid. These records would be marketed in various colors (typically pink for early pressings; black for later), and were the first molded cylinder records offered in significant numbers in the U.S.

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In the 1890s Thomas Edison put in a patent for the use of celluloid for cylinders,but the Patent Office awarded it to Thomas Lambert instead.Thus Edison was deprived of the use of celluloid for cylinders for several years.edisonplayer.

“ Molded” can be misunderstood in this context. Unlike Edison's “Gold Moulded” cylinders, Lambert's celluloid cylinders, like Lioret's, patented in France in 1893, were not cast but pressed into a mold.

From what I can tell, these very early Pink Lamberts were stamped as a blank before they were pressed into the mould to get their grooves.

In July 1902 Lambert agreed to produce celluloid cylinders from Edison Bell masters in their Chicago factory. The cylinders were then shipped to the UK and first went on sale here in November 1902. They have the letter "E" added to the pencilled catalogue number inside the cylinder.