Post by phonogfp on Mar 2, 2010 10:51:50 GMT -6
Six articles, 40 illustrations, and 31 pages. Another great issue - - thanks to Editor Rene Rondeau.
Dr. Stuart Miller makes an impressive initial contribution with an article titled, "The Edison Spectacle Phonograph Carriage Dampening Piston." How many of us have looked at the old lithograph illustrations of the first Class M, and wondered about some of the odd contraptions attached to it? Not having ready access to a Spectacle model Edison (there are only 15 known), I've had to simply wonder. Well, Dr. Miller personally inspected 12 of the 15 known Spectacle models and in 5 pages of text with 11 illustrations, he explains what it all was for, including the mysterious dampening pistons found on 2 of these very early machines. Where else can one find this kind of detailed analysis on a machine from the 1880s?!
Patrick Feaster - one of my favorite researchers - has written a fascinating article on the first selection ever listed in a phonograph catalog, and the story of one phonograph enthusiast's efforts to obtain records from Edison's laboratory at the very dawn of the recording industry. In "Nathaniel Smith and 'The Song That Reached My Heart'," you'll learn about what a shoestring operation the early recording business represented, and you'll read memos and letters between Edison, Alfred Tate, the New Jersey Phonograph Company, Thomas Lombard, and of course the otherwise unknown Nathaniel Smith - - the progenitor of records collectors everywhere! This is a wonderful glimpse into the past through actual correspondence and catalogs, full of human interest.
Shawn O'Rourke continues his series on "How Does that Coin-Operated Phonograph Work?" with an installment on one of everyone's favorite machines: the "BS" Graphophone. Using 12 excellent photos, Shawn describes the ingeniously simple mechanism of the "BS," and makes me long to have one again. This is the most commonly-found of the coin-operated talking machines, and should you ever find yourself restoring one, this article will prove invaluable.
Allen Koenigsberg offers a rare look at the early trade journal, The Edison Phonographic News in his article, "How Phonographs Were Sold...in 1894. "Strange but True". Including some wonderful images from this early publication (including a photo of The Edison Automatic Phonograph parlor in the Cleveland Arcade featured in a recent thread on this board), Allen shares the contents of 6 issues of this rare trade journal, including the latest recorded song titles and artists, developments in the Phonograph including the Automatic Reproducer and the Amet spring motor, and much more. Great stuff!
Robert Baumbach follows a similar vein in his article "The Voice of the Talking Machine Industry." Bob discusses the trade journal, The Talking Machine World which began publication in 1905. Also included are The Talking Machine Journal, the Talking Machine News, The Talking Machine & Radio Journal, the Radio-Music Merchant, and of course The Voice of the Victor. Included are many images from these various trade journals showing products from the ridiculous to the sublime. A nice segue from Allen Koenigsberg's article, and covering the entire industry.
Finally, this issue includes a brutally honest appraisal of the historical accuracy of the groundbreaking book, From Tinfoil to Stereo. There are 5 pages of errors noted in the work, which no reader of the book (either 1st or 2nd Edition) should be without.
From the beautiful full-color photo of an Edison Spectacle model on the front cover to the full-color photos of early-production and late-production "BS" Graphophones on the rear cover, this is an issue of The Sound Box you don't want to miss.
George P.
Dr. Stuart Miller makes an impressive initial contribution with an article titled, "The Edison Spectacle Phonograph Carriage Dampening Piston." How many of us have looked at the old lithograph illustrations of the first Class M, and wondered about some of the odd contraptions attached to it? Not having ready access to a Spectacle model Edison (there are only 15 known), I've had to simply wonder. Well, Dr. Miller personally inspected 12 of the 15 known Spectacle models and in 5 pages of text with 11 illustrations, he explains what it all was for, including the mysterious dampening pistons found on 2 of these very early machines. Where else can one find this kind of detailed analysis on a machine from the 1880s?!
Patrick Feaster - one of my favorite researchers - has written a fascinating article on the first selection ever listed in a phonograph catalog, and the story of one phonograph enthusiast's efforts to obtain records from Edison's laboratory at the very dawn of the recording industry. In "Nathaniel Smith and 'The Song That Reached My Heart'," you'll learn about what a shoestring operation the early recording business represented, and you'll read memos and letters between Edison, Alfred Tate, the New Jersey Phonograph Company, Thomas Lombard, and of course the otherwise unknown Nathaniel Smith - - the progenitor of records collectors everywhere! This is a wonderful glimpse into the past through actual correspondence and catalogs, full of human interest.
Shawn O'Rourke continues his series on "How Does that Coin-Operated Phonograph Work?" with an installment on one of everyone's favorite machines: the "BS" Graphophone. Using 12 excellent photos, Shawn describes the ingeniously simple mechanism of the "BS," and makes me long to have one again. This is the most commonly-found of the coin-operated talking machines, and should you ever find yourself restoring one, this article will prove invaluable.
Allen Koenigsberg offers a rare look at the early trade journal, The Edison Phonographic News in his article, "How Phonographs Were Sold...in 1894. "Strange but True". Including some wonderful images from this early publication (including a photo of The Edison Automatic Phonograph parlor in the Cleveland Arcade featured in a recent thread on this board), Allen shares the contents of 6 issues of this rare trade journal, including the latest recorded song titles and artists, developments in the Phonograph including the Automatic Reproducer and the Amet spring motor, and much more. Great stuff!
Robert Baumbach follows a similar vein in his article "The Voice of the Talking Machine Industry." Bob discusses the trade journal, The Talking Machine World which began publication in 1905. Also included are The Talking Machine Journal, the Talking Machine News, The Talking Machine & Radio Journal, the Radio-Music Merchant, and of course The Voice of the Victor. Included are many images from these various trade journals showing products from the ridiculous to the sublime. A nice segue from Allen Koenigsberg's article, and covering the entire industry.
Finally, this issue includes a brutally honest appraisal of the historical accuracy of the groundbreaking book, From Tinfoil to Stereo. There are 5 pages of errors noted in the work, which no reader of the book (either 1st or 2nd Edition) should be without.
From the beautiful full-color photo of an Edison Spectacle model on the front cover to the full-color photos of early-production and late-production "BS" Graphophones on the rear cover, this is an issue of The Sound Box you don't want to miss.
George P.