Equipment: Phonograph made by American Graphophone Company, ca. 1901
Dictaphone
Graphophone
1901 (Date manufactured/created)
9.5 inches H
X
7.5 inches W
X
13 inches D
Measurement Notes: with the horn in place
5.25 inches H X 7.5 inches W X 4.5 inches D Measurement Notes: Base of machine (horn is removable)
5.25 inches H X 7.5 inches W X 4.5 inches D Measurement Notes: Base of machine (horn is removable)
Early cylinder phonograph or graphophone, also called a "talking machine," made by American Graphophone Company (later, Columbia Phonograph Company) of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The term graphophone was used to distinguish this from Edison's invention called the phonograph. This model includes eight patent dates ranging from May 4, 1886 to Aug. 20, 1901. Alexander Graham Bell and Charles Sumner Tainter were the inventors of the graphophone. Bell and Tainter's version used a wax cylinder on the mandrel instead of tin foil, and they invented other features such as the floating needle that made it more practical than Edison's early versions of the phonograph. There are two main parts to this piece, the base with the recording/playing device, a mandrel with black cylinder, and a short arm with needle, and a small horn.
A) Consists of a 1/4" thick metal base plate, 7 1/2" x 4 1/2", painted black with decorative and informational features finely painted in gold, upon which is mounted the phonograph and a finely grooved black cylinder that with the moveable needle in operation. It is unclear at the time of this writing whether this machine could be used both to record sound on a wax cylinder (like a dictating machine) or if it was only used to play existing cylinders. The needle is part of a bridge-like metal framework with gears at one end, and a large key that projects from the end to wind up and turn the mandrel and cylinder. At the opposite end, the support piece for this 3-rod bridge has engraved on it: The Graphophone Type Q / Patented / May 4, 1886 / Dec. 27, 1887 / April 3, 1888 / June 10, 1890 / Oct. 18, 1894 / March 30, 1897 / Aug. 13, 1901 / Aug. 20, 1901 / American Graphophone Company / New York / N.Y. There is also manufacturer information within a painted gold rectangle on the base, but much of it has been worn off; it may have included Bridgeport as a location. Currently a round metal piece with a stem, the element that has the needle, has been taken off so as not to cause any damage to the cylinder. The grooved cylinder, which could be changed out for other cylinders, has identifying information around one end: Pat'd July 29, 1902 / 1351. / Mixed quartette. / Tell Mother I'll Be There.
B) The 10 1/4" metal horn with a 4" diameter sound opening is painted black and has a wide gold band painted close to the widest end. This band has been repainted at some point as it no longer has clean straight edges. The horn fits onto a slim metal tube, 2 3/8" long, opposite to where the needle element fits on.
This object was x-rayed by students in a Quinnipiac University medical imaging class who worked on site at the museum. This served as a (non-human) practice piece for them. Since portions are dense metal, the views did not really reveal what the interior components look like.
The American Graphophone manufacturing plant was located on Howard Avenue, in the former Howe Machine Co. sewing machine factory. Elias Howe sold his factory in 1887 to American Graphophone Company, which had been formed by Alexander Graham Bell and Charles Tainter once they developed what they considered a marketable product. Presumably many of the Howe workers stayed on, as sewing machine bases were used both as a base for and to operate the early graphophones; the sewing machine treadle turned the cylinder. The Columbia Phonograph Company acquired American Graphophone. Eventually the Bridgeport factory became home to Dictaphone.
A) Consists of a 1/4" thick metal base plate, 7 1/2" x 4 1/2", painted black with decorative and informational features finely painted in gold, upon which is mounted the phonograph and a finely grooved black cylinder that with the moveable needle in operation. It is unclear at the time of this writing whether this machine could be used both to record sound on a wax cylinder (like a dictating machine) or if it was only used to play existing cylinders. The needle is part of a bridge-like metal framework with gears at one end, and a large key that projects from the end to wind up and turn the mandrel and cylinder. At the opposite end, the support piece for this 3-rod bridge has engraved on it: The Graphophone Type Q / Patented / May 4, 1886 / Dec. 27, 1887 / April 3, 1888 / June 10, 1890 / Oct. 18, 1894 / March 30, 1897 / Aug. 13, 1901 / Aug. 20, 1901 / American Graphophone Company / New York / N.Y. There is also manufacturer information within a painted gold rectangle on the base, but much of it has been worn off; it may have included Bridgeport as a location. Currently a round metal piece with a stem, the element that has the needle, has been taken off so as not to cause any damage to the cylinder. The grooved cylinder, which could be changed out for other cylinders, has identifying information around one end: Pat'd July 29, 1902 / 1351. / Mixed quartette. / Tell Mother I'll Be There.
B) The 10 1/4" metal horn with a 4" diameter sound opening is painted black and has a wide gold band painted close to the widest end. This band has been repainted at some point as it no longer has clean straight edges. The horn fits onto a slim metal tube, 2 3/8" long, opposite to where the needle element fits on.
This object was x-rayed by students in a Quinnipiac University medical imaging class who worked on site at the museum. This served as a (non-human) practice piece for them. Since portions are dense metal, the views did not really reveal what the interior components look like.
The American Graphophone manufacturing plant was located on Howard Avenue, in the former Howe Machine Co. sewing machine factory. Elias Howe sold his factory in 1887 to American Graphophone Company, which had been formed by Alexander Graham Bell and Charles Tainter once they developed what they considered a marketable product. Presumably many of the Howe workers stayed on, as sewing machine bases were used both as a base for and to operate the early graphophones; the sewing machine treadle turned the cylinder. The Columbia Phonograph Company acquired American Graphophone. Eventually the Bridgeport factory became home to Dictaphone.
Gift of Frederick Fleischer
2003.004.001 AB