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Tainter Pictures 4
Tainter Papers - Magazine Illustrations
Figures 1-3 from the article "The Graphophone" in Harper's Weekly 1886/07/17:
"Talking Into the Graphophone"in Harper's Weekly 1886/07/17 from Tainter Papers, NMAH |
"Listening to the Reproduction"in Harper's Weekly 1886/07/17 from Tainter Papers, NMAH |
"The diagram gives an idea of the way the steel point cuts into the surface of the wax, and also portrays an actual sound wave. The groove cut in the wax by the recording style is only three one-thousandths of an inch wide, and less than this in depth, and one hundred and sixty-one grooves to the inch are cut on the cylinder."in Harper's Weekly 1886/07/17 from Tainter Papers, NMAH |
Figures 1-7 from the article "The Graphophone" in Electrical World 1888/07/14:
"Upon a diaphragm three inches in dameter a steel point is attached, which cuts a minute hair line in the surface of the waxed cylinder upon the agitation of the diaphragm by sound."Fig. 1 vin Electrical World 1888/07/14 from Tainter Papers, NMAH |
"Upon a cylinder six inches in length by an inch and a quarter in diameter, one is enabled to record at least five minutes' conversation."Fig. 2 in Electrical World 1888/07/14 from Tainter Papers, NMAH |
"The diagram gives an idea of the way the steel point cuts into the surface of the wax, and also portrays an actual sound wave. The groove cut in the wax by the recording style is only three one-thousandths of an inch wide, and less than this in depth, and one hundred and sixty-one grooves to the inch are cut on the cylinder."Fig. 3 in Electrical World 1888/07/14 from Tainter Papers, NMAH |
"Machines of the design shown in Figure 4 have been in operation in Washington for at lease eighteen months, and they have also been exhibited successfully in other places in differenct parts of the country. Instead of a single speaking-tube and mouth-piece,a double arrangement is used when it is desired to record a conversation between two persons. This is found very convenient for taking depostions and in similar work."Fig. 4 in Electrical World 1888/07/14 from Tainter Papers, NMAH |
"In the spring of 1887 I designed the form of graphophone shown in Figures 5 and 6. This machine is the one in practical use at the present time, and being manufactured for sale by the American Graphophone Co. " Tainter is pictured as the operator.Fig. 5 in Electrical World 1888/07/14 from Tainter Papers, NMAH |
"Figure 6 shows the machine arranged for reproducing the records and making a type-writer copy. By pressing one of the small keys shown on the right of the graphophone, the reporduction of what is recorded on the wax cylinder commences, and a slight pressure on the second key stops the cylinder while the motions of the foot and regulator continue." Percival Waters is pictured as the operator.Fig. 6 in Electrical World 1888/07/14 from Tainter Papers, NMAH |
"The graphophone can be converted from a single to a double machine. Each cylinder has a separate recorder, the two recorders being connected to one speaking-tube, and two records are made at the same time."Fig. 7 in Electrical World 1888/07/14 from Tainter Papers, NMAH |
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- 1999 by Steven E. Schoenherr. All rights reserved. The photos on these pages are used with permission of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. They may not be reproduced or distributed without written permission of the NMAH. |
digital photos taken June 21, 1999 by Schoenherr | Return to NMAH or Recording Technology History Notes | this page revised July 12, 1999
