The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Basically, things you'd like to see and/or hear in action, but for one reason or another, there's no copy or video online.

I would be interested in hearing the early Stroh wax phonograph of 1878, which supposedly carries a recording older than the Lambert talking clock, which consists of the oldest record of music (a brass ensemble, a woman singing, and a cornet solo) and a man talking to an audience. It's pictured on page 11 of "Discovering Antique Phonographs", and has a transcript of the spoken portion:

"'Ahem...Well, gentlemen, I'm really much obliged to you all for playing for me this evening, and I think what you have done for me is all very well indeed. I wish you a happy new year and a very good night to you all. Good night. [coughs comically] I hope you haven't got such a bad cold as I have!'"

To be honest, I haven't found anything online about this very important recording. According to the book, it's now in the collection of a John Woodward.

Also, I'd like to hear a Bell-Tainter cylinder, as I've never heard one before. Even if it's just some record of the transactions of some long forgotten company, it'd still be quite interesting to hear.

New Owner wrote:To be honest, I haven't found anything online about this very important recording. According to the book, it's now in the collection of a John Woodward.

Imagine that: some things cannot be found on the Internet!

I have a Bell/Tainter cylinder that I've owned for 24 years, but I've never heard the recording. I don't have the proper reproducer to play it, and even if I did - I wouldn't. There's a very expensive modern piece of equipment that can play Bell/Tainter cylinders under near-ideal conditions, and perhaps someday my cylinder will be recorded by one of these devices for release (along with other vintage records) on a CD. Keep checking at www.Archeophone.com for upcoming releases. They're doing good stuff!

George P.

I have always wondered why Mark Twain did not make commercial records. After he went broke publishing Grant's memoirs, Twain went on a speaking tour to raise more money. It seems records would have been a natural for him. The only private recording that I know of was made by Bettini and lost in France.

You can hear Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville's Phonautograms at this site:

http://www.firstsounds.org/sounds/scott.php



The only Bell Tainter that has been played and recorded that I’m aware of was done several years ago by Peter Dilg of a cylinder owned by Dave Heitz. I believe he also captured an Edison doll cylinder.

I’m aware of several collectors who own recorded Bell Tainter cylinders and efforts are underway, as George suggested, in capturing these sounds along with some original Edison doll cylinders.


Vintage Technologies referenced to a lost Bettini recording of Mark Twain. There did exist a Bettini recording of Benjamin Harrison, the first sitting U.S. President to be recorded. That recording could still exist – somewhere.

rodpickett wrote: Vintage Technologies referenced to a lost Bettini recording of Mark Twain. There did exist a Bettini recording of Benjamin Harrison, the first sitting U.S. President to be recorded. That recording could still exist – somewhere.

There's actually a tape copy of that supposed Benjamin Harrison cylinder on Vincent Voice Library at the Michigan State University, it's actually available online. Go check it out in here; http://archive.lib.msu.edu/VVL/vincent/ ... rrison.htm

Of course, lots of attribution of the materials on the Vincent Voice Library is VERY inaccurate, but I think this one might be a "kosher". According to one source I've read (don't ask me about the exact title!), Robert Vincent actually had that Benjamin Harrison cylinder in his possession in the late-1940s, and transferred it on an Acetate disc around that time.

Mark.

You are likely referring to the December 1939 issue of Popular Science in which Vincent describes his "famous voices from the past" cylinders and his efforts to transfer them to disc. Whether he actually had all of these authentic cylinder recordings, including that of Harrison, has been subject of debate.

Here is a link to a PDF of that 1939 Popular Science article.


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4204650/RobertV ... mbined.pdf

As a collector of opera, I would like to hear the "lost" Bettini recordings.
His 1899 catalogue apparently ran to 55 pages, and included many of the most celebrated artists of the time.

Bettini's personal collection was stored in a French warehouse at the time of his death in 1938, and was destroyed by bombing during World War 2.

Apart from the Sembrich cylinder discovered in New Zealand many years ago and transferred to 45rpm vinyl, have any surviving recordings been transferred to CD?

rodpickett wrote:You are likely referring to the December 1939 issue of Popular Science in which Vincent describes his "famous voices from the past" cylinders and his efforts to transfer them to disc. Whether he actually had all of these authentic cylinder recordings, including that of Harrison, has been subject of debate.

Here is a link to a PDF of that 1939 Popular Science article.


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4204650/RobertV ... mbined.pdf

A number of the recordings mentioned were unique and I think are in the Edison archives. I suspect that Vincent had special access to the archive, just as some people have today. I noticed some inaccuracies in the article, which isn't too surprising. I don't think many people at that time had a good overview of phonographic history, apart from a small number of early collectors. In fact, what is supposed to be the first general phonograph history was not published until 1945, "Talking Wax". I posted a link to that book in another thread a while back.