Experimental Sound Recording, Wax Disc on Binder’s Board
date: label: date made
content: 1885-04-15
name: label: maker
content: Volta Laboratory Associates
notes: label: Description
content: This is an experimental sound recording made in the Volta Laboratory, Washington, D.C., on 15 April 1885. It is a recording of Alexander Graham Bell s voice.
label: Description
content: In a ring around the center, it is inscribed in the wax: Record made April 15 1885/AGB and C.A.B. [Chichester A. Bell]/to test reproduction of numbers./ Disk A. G. B. No. 1. A paper document, probably in Alexander Graham Bell s handwriting, with a transcription of the recording is 287881.02
label: Description
content: Download link, Interplanetary File System (IPFS) content identifier (CID): <a href="https://w3s.link/ipfs/bafybeic4y2dsqr2a2bojaebydoe7v3bxgwfmn5dq2axgwciwfwytv7fz2m">https://w3s.link/ipfs/bafybeic4y2dsqr2a2bojaebydoe7v3bxgwfmn5dq2axgwciwfwytv7fz2m</a>
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: <a href="https://phonozoic.net/volta-discography.pdf">Patrick Feaster, “A Discography of Volta Laboratory Recordings at the National Museum of American History”</a>
label: Description
content: Leslie J. Newville, Development of the Phonograph at Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory, in Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology, United States National Museum Bulletin 218, Paper 5 (1959): 69-79.
label: Description
content: <a href="https://www.aes-media.org/historical/html/recording.technology.history/graphophone.html">Steven E. Schoenherr, “Charles Sumner Tainter and the Graphophone”</a>
label: Description
content: Sound was recovered from this recording in 2012. Transcript of recording (4:35 minutes):
label: Description
content: [unintelligible] nineteen, twenty, twenty one, twenty two, twenty three, twenty four, twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty, thirty one, thirty two, thirty three, thirty four, thirty five, thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight, thirty nine, forty, forty one, forty two, forty three, forty four, forty five, forty six, forty seven, forty eight, forty nine, fifty
label: Description
content: ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred
label: Description
content: one hundred, two hundred, three hundred, four hundred, five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred, eight hundred, nine hundred, one thousand
label: Description
content: one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand, five thousand, six thousand, seven thousand, eight thousand, nine thousand, ten thousand
label: Description
content: ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand, forty thousand, fifty thousand, sixty thousand, seventy thousand, eighty thousand, ninety thousand, one hundred thousand
label: Description
content: one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, three hundred thousand, four hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, six hundred thousand, seven hundred thousand, eight hundred thousand, nine hundred thousand, one million
label: Description
content: three thousand five hundred and seventy one / one hundred and twenty three thousand nine hundred and forty one/ one hundred and twenty five thousand eight hundred and seventy three
label: Description
content: one million nine hundred and forty five thousand eight hundred and seventy six / thirty-five thousand nine hundred / thirty three thousand eight hundred and seventy eight
label: Description
content: forty eight thousand seven hundred and fifteen/ seven hundred and ninety thousand [no?] hundred and forty two / four million five hundred and thirty thousand eight hundred and seventy
label: Description
content: forty five dollars and a half / eighty nine dollars and seventy three cents / four thousand [no?] hundred and twenty nine dollars and forty-six cents
label: Description
content: thirty five cents / twenty five cents / thirty cents / fifty cents
label: Description
content: half a dollar [a? seems to be missing] quarter dollar
label: Description
content: three dollars and a half / five dollars and a quarter / seven dollars and twenty nine cents
label: Description
content: ten dollars and a half / three thousand seven hundred and eighty five dollars and fifty six cents
label: Description
content: This record has been made by Alexander Graham Bell
label: Description
content: in the presence of Dr. Chichester A. Bell ----
label: Description
content: on the 15th of April, eighteen hundred and eighty five at the Volta Laboratory
label: Description
content: Twelve hundred and twenty one Connecticut Avenue, Washington [D.C. ?]
label: Description
content: In witness whereof --- hear my voice Alexander Graham Bell
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanisms
label: See more items in
content: Communications
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content: Computers & Business Machines
label: See more items in
content: Hear My Voice
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Alexander Graham Bell
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: ME.287881.01
label: accession number
content: 58498
label: catalog number
content: 287881.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: sound recording
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wax; binderboard (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: disc (overall shape)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1/8 in x 9 1/2 in; .3175 cm x 24.13 cm