The Beginning of the Recording Era: Thomas Edison Obtained a Patent for the Phonograph on February 19, 18782 photos

Records. The main merit of this device was that the sound recorded on foil could be reproduced. The initial recordings were simply indentations made on the surface of the foil by a moving needle. The foil was placed on a cylinder that rotated during sound playback. The device cost $18. Its public demonstration immediately made Edison famous. To many, the reproduction of sound seemed like magic, which is why some called Edison the ‘magician of Menlo Park.’ Edison himself was so amazed by this discovery that he said, ‘I have never been so stunned in my life. I have always feared things that worked from the first try.’

Successful demonstrations of this device took place in the same year in the United States and Europe. In 1879, the phonograph was also demonstrated in Russia. Over the following 40 years, Edison continuously improved his invention, obtaining an additional 80 patents. One of Edison’s greatest achievements was realizing that he could preserve the voices of great people of his time by sending the first batch of phonographs to renowned elderly individuals of his era. Thanks to this, in Russia, at the Literary Museum, one can hear the voice of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy.