The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I picked up this dark brown wax cylinder today. Appears to be a home recording. The interior is lined with a ribbed cloth. Has anyone seen a cylinder like this and know who made it and the age? I have never seen one with a lined interior like this.

Either an Ediphone or Dictaphone cylinder.

George P.

Looks like a recording cylinder to have been used with an Ediphone or Dictaphone as George mentioned. Could be an off-brand, as it looks a little cruder than most I've seen.

There could be anything on there. Most likely something from an office setting since that's where most of those machines were used. Date could be anywhere from the early 1900s through about 1940 or so.

In the 1990s Rick Wilkins used to cut down old Ediphone cylinders and record songs etc. I bought a Let Us Not Forget cylinder back in the day...pre internet. They were RWR records and labeled as such.

Edison late brown wax blank cylinders had this cloth lining embedded in the core of the cylinder. I’ve had a dozen or so in the original blank cylinder boxes. I do believe the one you show in the picture is a cut down dictaphone cylinder not a late Edison Blank Cylinder.

Rich Gordon

Edison late brown wax blank cylinders had this cloth lining embedded in the core of the cylinder. I’ve had a dozen or so in the original blank cylinder boxes. I do believe the one you show in the picture is a cut down dictaphone cylinder not a late Edison Blank Cylinder. I think I still have a few, I will look and post a picture if I find them.

Rich Gordon