Introduction Len Spencer was one of the earliest stars of the American recording industry, and his voice became a familiar sound in homes across the country during the late 1800s and early 1900s. With a career that blended comedy, music, and vaudeville, Spencer had a talent for making people laugh…
Tag: phonograph
The Evolution of Recorded Music
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Beyond Edison and Bell: The Evolution of the First Disc Records
The Preceding Technologies: Wax Cylinders In the late 19th century, the field of sound recording was dominated by the inventions of Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. Edison’s phonograph, patented in 1878, utilized a wax cylinder as its recording medium. Bell also contributed with his graphophone, which sought to improve…
The Evolution of Recorded Music
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From Tinfoil to Wax: The Evolution of Phonograph Cylinders
In an era where streaming services and digital downloads dominate our music consumption, it’s easy to overlook the rich history that has paved the way for today’s instant gratification audio experience. One of the fascinating relics of sound recording history is the phonograph cylinder, a seemingly primitive yet groundbreaking technology…
Vintage Record Labels
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Asch Records
Founded in 1938 by Moses Asch, Asch Records was one of the most important independent record producers of the 1940s, preserving the recordings of great folk artists including Leadbelly, Cisco Houston and Woody Guthrie. Though primarily a folk label, Asch also supported jazz, blues, classical, spoken word and world music,…
The Evolution of Recorded Music
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The Invention of the Phonograph
Record Players, as they are called today, have a history that dates back to the 19th century. Phonographs, as they were known then, are popularly regarded as playing flat disc records that spun at a rate of 78rpm. Truthfully, though, the original phonographs were even more different than that. The…