By Judd Vesey
Today, I have found myself appreciating the impact music plays in my life and society as a whole. We have the luxury of listening to music wherever and whenever we want. The sheer amount of different music genres and artists has been expanding rapidly over the last 100-years. Let’s not even get started on AI generated music. Here is a brief summary of what I have learnt after delving deep into the history of music machines!
The first device created to record and play back music was invented by Thomas Edison in 1877! Edison would patent his invention that year and sell it to his new company “The Edison Speaking Phonograph Company” for $10,000 USD (~$308,000 USD today) and 20% royalties from each sale.
Over the next 30-years, Edison’s graphophone would be improved upon and modified. Alexander Graham Bell would implement wax cylinders to replace Edison’s tinfoil cylinders. Emile Berliner would patent the gramophone in 1887. His invention utilised flat discs as they were cheaper and simple to produce. These flat discs were made from shellac then would later be made out of vinyl!
Edison would later release his “Fireside” model phonograph in 1909. This model implemented wax cylinders with options to play two or four-minute recordings. The compact size of this phonograph was also a selling point. We have received a generous donation of one of Thomas Edison’s Fireside phonographs at The Gold Coast Historical Museum. This is now our oldest music recording device at the Museum.
If you would like to experience the history and evolution of music devices, come and visit the Gold Coast Historical Museum. Visit our website https://gcmuseum.com.au/ for our opening days and times as it is very limited.
The Gold Coast Historical Museum 