CREATING A RECORD 9-02-10

PHONOGRAPH

The phonograph was the result of two inventions, the telegraph and the telephone, that Thomas Edison was developing. In 1877 he was working on a machine that would write telegraphic messages on paper through speaking vibrations. These vibrations made indentations in the paper. Subsequently he changed the paper to a metal cylinder with tin foil wrapped around it. The machine had two diaphragm-and-needle units so the first one could record a sound and the second could play back the same sound.

Edison took the phonograph to the office of Scientific American in New York City and showed it to the staff.

In January 1878 the machine was already a success, but only experts knew how to use it, and the tin wouldn't last much.

In March 1878 Edison offered many future uses for the phonograph, including letter writing, phonographic books, music boxes, etc.

Some time later other inventors started to develop Edison's phonograph.

In 1880 Alexander Graham Bell was awarded for the invention of the telephone.

Chicheter A. Bell, Alexander's cousin, and Charles Sumner Tainter made some improvements to Edison's invention by using wax instead of the tin foil and a floating stylus instead of a rigid needle.

On 1886 they were awarded and their machine was exhibited to the public as the graphophone.

The Edison Phonograph Company was formed on October 8 1887 and his Machine was in the market. The Improved Phonograph was introduced in May 1888 and later even the Perfected Phonograph.