Edison ‘Gem’ phonograph

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Edison ‘Gem’ phonograph
Manufacturer	Edison
Production years	1903
Production location	(unknown)

The Gem, introduced in 1899, was the cheapest and most popular of the Edison phonographs. It was intended only for reproduction and two 2-minute cylinders could be played on one winding.

[edit] How it works

Thomas Edison is credited with creating the first device for recording and playing back sounds in 1877. His approach used a very simple mechanism to store an analog wave mechanically. In Edison's original phonograph, a diaphragm directly controlled a needle, and the needle scratched an analog signal onto a tinfoil cylinder: You spoke into Edison's device while rotating the cylinder, and the needle "recorded" what you said onto the tin. That is, as the diaphragm vibrated, so did the needle, and those vibrations impressed themselves onto the tin. To play the sound back, the needle moved over the groove scratched during recording. During playback, the vibrations pressed into the tin caused the needle to vibrate, causing the diaphragm to vibrate and play the sound.

[edit] Memories

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[edit] In the Science Museum's Records

Inv. No: 1949-261 Source: Salisbury, South Wilts and Blackmore Museum