Images(4)

recorder

Mediummetal

Dimensionsediphone: 28 1/2 × 14 1/2 × 11 1/2 in. (72.4 × 36.8 × 29.2 cm)
cylinder, each: 6 1/2 × 2 3/4 in. (16.5 × 7 cm)
cord, rolled: 1 1/2 × 8 in. (3.8 × 20.3 cm)

ClassificationsTools & Equipment for Communication

Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of the Estate of Loretta Barrett Keleher

Object numberVPC2001.49.3.1-7

DescriptionThis is an Ediphone recorder, invented and produced by Thomas Edison in the late 1880s. Designed to record speech by etching soundwaves onto wax cylinders, the Ediphone represents a significant milestone in the development of audio recording technology. The wax cylinders are housed within a sleek, all-black stainless steel outer shell. At the top of the machine, beneath a sliding door, sits the recording horn alongside a series of neatly labeled switches and levers. Just below the door, the producer’s logo appears in a gold, stylized signature reading “Thomas A. Edison.” The machine stands on four legs, each equipped with a single wheel for mobility. A label on the front of the cabinet reads: “EDISON / MADE IN / WEST ORANGE, N.J., U.S.A.” This remarkable device marks a pivotal moment in American innovation and the history of technology, as it stands among the earliest audio recorders ever created.

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