#68 Edison Experimental Recording Phonograph
1877
World's first practical sound recording machine
Edison's simple and unprecedented instrument allowed for the first time the permanent recording and reproduction of sound, especially the human voice. On December 6, 1877, Edison put tinfoil around the cylinder, turned the handle of the shaft and, shouting into one of the diaphragms, recorded a verse of Mary Had a Little Lamb "almost perfectly." From this machine evolved the phonographs and record industries of the world. Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) has become an American folk hero for this and other innovations, which have increased the enjoyment of life for people throughout the world.
Replica of a 1877 prototype Edison "Kruesi" tinfoil phonograph
Landmark Location
Edison Natl. Historic Site
Main St. and Lakeside Ave.
West Orange, NJ 07052
Visiting Hours
Regular hours
Related Links
Edison Phonograph Museum (in Quebec): www.phono.org/beaupre-en.html
Edison Birthplace site: www.tomedison.org
Library of Congress' American Memory site on Edison: rs6.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edhome.html
Ceremony Notes
July 1981