Antique Phonographs have been an all-consuming passion of mine since I bought
my first one as a 12 year-old child in 1961. Even after 47 years I still find these
amazing pieces of early technology to be endlessly fascinating. The picture above,
taken in 1962, shows my dog 'Stubby' standing in for Nipper (with a Columbia BKT
instead of a Berliner). The clipping below is an extract from a 2-page article published
in the February 24, 1963 issue of the Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican.
This article, and a later local TV appearance, led to my finding some exciting phonographs.
(The Gem and Columbia AB
are still in my collection today. They still look the same, but I don't!)
(If you're curious to see the entire newspaper article, click on the photo.)
Here's a more recent media report, this time a TV clip which aired on a San
Francisco station in 2001:
THE RONDEAU COLLECTION GALLERY
ORIGINAL TINFOIL PHONOGRAPHS- 1878-1881
The history of sound recording began with a sheet of tinfoil and a brief
nursery rhyme ("Mary had a little lamb..."). Edison invented the first
phonograph in December, 1877, creating an instant sensation -- but a brief one. Once
the initial public curiosity was satisfied the technology languished for almost a
decade. The machines below are original artifacts of the earliest days of the phonograph.
Send E-Mail to René Rondeau