file which includes the original        
illustrations4       ,see #cjaab-;h4htm 
or #cjaab-;h4zip3                       
7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu
b_/#cjaab_/pg#cjaab-;images4html7       
or                                      
7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#cj
aab_/cjaab-;h4zip7   ,transcriber's     
note3        ,passages in italics are   
enclosed between underscores            
7italics74        ,additional spacing   
after some of the quotations is         
intentional       to indicate both the  
end of a quotation and the beginning of 
a       new paragraph as presented in   
the original text4      ,contributions  
from the ,museum of ,history and        
,technology1 ,united ,states ,national  
,museum ,bulletin #bah1 ,paper #e1      
7pages #fi-gi7  ,,development ,,of ,,the
 ,,phonograph ,,at ,,alexander ,,graham 
,,bell',s ,,volta ,,laboratory  ,,leslie
 ,j4 ,,newville   ,,development ,,of    
,,the ,,phonograph ,,at ,,alexander     
,,graham ,,bell',s ,,volta ,,laboratory 

by  ,,leslie ,j4 ,,newville             
,the fame of ,thomas ,a4 ,edison rests  
most securely on his genius for         
making practical application of the     
ideas of others4 ,however1 it      was  
,alexander ,graham ,bell1 long a        
,smithsonian ,regent and friend of      
its third ,secretary ,s4 ,p4 ,langley1  
who1 with his ,volta ,laboratory        
associates made practical the           
phonograph1 which has been called       
,edison's most original invention4      
,,the ,,author3 ,leslie ,j4 ,newville   
wrote this paper while he was           
attached to the office of the curator of
 ,science and ,technology in      the   
,smithsonian ,institution's ,united     
,states ,national ,museum4   ,the story 
of ,alexander ,graham ,bell's invention 
of the telephone has been told and      
retold4 ,how he became involved in the  
difficult task of making practical      
phonograph records1 and succeeded 7in   
association with ,charles ,sumner       
,tainter and ,chichester ,bell71 is not 

so well known4  ,but material collected 
through the years by the ,u4 ,s4        
,national ,museum of the ,smithsonian   
,institution now makes clear how ,bell  
and two associates took ,edison's       
tinfoil machine and made it reproduce   
sound from wax instead of tinfoil4 ,they
 began their work in ,washington1 ,d4   
,c41 in #ahgi1 and continued until      
granted basic patents in #ahhf for      
recording in wax4  ,preserved at the    
,smithsonian are some #bj pieces of     
experimental apparatus1 including a     
number of complete machines4 ,their     
first experimental machine was sealed in
 a box and deposited in the ,smithsonian
 archives in #ahha4 ,the others were    
delivered by ,alexander ,graham ,bell to
 the ,national ,museum in two lots in   
#aiae and #aibb4 ,bell was an old man by
 this time1 busy with his aeronautical  
experiments in ,nova ,scotia4  ,it was  
not until #aidg1 however1 that the      
,museum received the key to the         
experimental ,graphophones1 as they were

 called to differentiate them from the  
,edison machine4 ,in that year ,mrs4    
,laura ,f4 ,tainter donated to the      
,museum #aj bound notebooks1 along with 
,tainter's unpublished autobiography4#a 
,this material describes in detail the  
strange machines and even stranger      
experiments which led in #ahhf to a     
greatly improved phonograph4  ,thomas   
,a4 ,edison had invented the phonograph 
in #ahgg4 ,but the fame bestowed on     
,edison for this startling invention    
7sometimes called his most original7 was
 not due to its efficiency4 ,recording  
with the tinfoil phonograph is too      
difficult to be practical4 ,the tinfoil 
tears easily1 and even when the stylus  
is properly adjusted1 the reproduction  
is distorted and squeaky1 and good for  
only a few playbacks4 ,nevertheless     
young ,edison1 the wizard as he was     
called1 had hit upon a secret of which  
men had dreamed for centuries4#b        
,immediately after this discovery1      
however1 he did not improve it1         

allegedly because of an agreement to    
spend the next five years developing the
 ,new ,york ,city electric light and    
power system4   ,illustration3 ,figure  
#a4--;,,charles ,,sumner ,,tainter      
7#ahed-aidj7 from a photograph taken in 
,san ,diego1 ,california1 #aiai4        
7,smithsonian photo #dbgbi-;,a47        
,meanwhile ,bell1 always a scientist and
 experimenter at heart1 after his       
invention of the telephone in #ahgf was 
looking for new worlds to conquer4 ,if  
we accept ,tainter's version of the     
story1 it was through ,gardiner ,green  
,hubbard that ,bell took up the         
phonograph challenge4 ,bell had married 
,hubbard's daughter ,mabel in #ahgi4    
,hubbard was then president of the      
,edison ,speaking ,phonograph ,co41 and 
his organization1 which had purchased   
the ,edison patent1 was having trouble  
with its finances because people did not
 like to buy a machine which seldom     
worked well and proved difficult for an 
unskilled person to operate4  ,in #ahgi 

,hubbard got ,bell interested in        
improving the machine1 and it was agreed
 that a laboratory should be set up in  
,washington4 ,experiments were also to  
be conducted on the transmission of     
sound by light1 and this resulted in the
 selenium-cell ,photophone1 patented in 
#ahha4 ,both the ,hubbards and the      
,bells decided to move to the ,capital4 
,while ,bell took his bride to ,europe  
for an extended honeymoon1 his associate
 ,charles ,sumner ,tainter1 a young     
instrument maker1 was sent on to        
,washington from ,cambridge1            
,massachusetts1 to start the            
laboratory4#c ,bell's cousin1           
,chichester ,bell1 who had been teaching
 college chemistry in ,london1 agreed to
 come as the third associate4 ,during   
his stay in ,europe ,bell received the  
#ej1jjj-;franc 7#aj1jjj7 ,volta prize1  
and it was with this money that the     
,washington project1 the ,volta         
,laboratory ,association1#d was         
financed4   ,illustration3 ,figure      

#b4--,,photographing ,,sound ,,in #ahhd4
 ,a rare photograph taken at ,volta     
,laboratory1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 by   
,j4 ,harris ,rogers1 a friend of ,bell  
and ,tainter 7,smithsonian photo        
#ddcab-;,e74  ,a description of the     
procedure used is found on page #fg1 of 
,tainter's unpublished autobiography    
7see footnote #a74 ,there1 ,tainter     
quotes ,chichester ,bell as follows3  ,a
 jet of bichromate of potash solution1  
vibrated by the voice1 was directed     
against a glass plate immediately in    
front of a slit1 on which light was     
concentrated by means of a lens4 ,the   
jet was so arranged that the light on   
its way to the slit had to pass through 
the nappe and as the thickness of this  
was constantly changing1 the            
illumination of the slit was also       
varied4 ,by means of a lens 444 an image
 of this slit was thrown upon a rotating
 gelatine-bromide plate1 on which       
accordingly a record of the voice       
vibrations was obtained4   ,tainter's   

story1 in his autobiography1 of the     
establishment of the laboratory1 shows  
its comparative simplicity3  ,i         
therefore wound up my business affairs  
in ,cambridge1 packed up all of my tools
 and machines1 and 444 went to          
,washington1 and after much search1     
rented a vacant house on ,l ,street1    
between #acth and #adth ,streets1 and   
fitted it up for our purpose4#e444 ,the 
,smithsonian ,institution sent us over a
 mail sack of scientific books from the 
library of the ,institution1 to consult1
 and primed with all we could learn 444 
we went to work4#f444 ,we were like the 
explorers in an entirely unknown land1  
where one has to select the path that   
seems to be most likely to get you to   
your destination1 with no knowledge of  
what is ahead4  ,in conducting our work 
we had first to design an experimental  
apparatus1 then hunt about1 often in    
,philadelphia and ,new ,york1 for the   
materials with which to construct it1   
which were usually hard to find1 and    

finally build the models we needed1     
ourselves4#g   ,illustration3 ,figure   
#c4--,,page ,,from ,,notebook of        
,charles ,sumner ,tainter1 describing an
 experiment in sound recording4 ,the    
,tainter notebooks1 preserved in the ,u4
 ,s4 ,national ,museum1 describe        
experiments at the ,volta ,laboratory1  
in the #ahhj's4 ,the ,graphophone       
patents of #ahhf1 were the result of    
this research4 7,smithsonian photo      
#ddcab47   ,the experimental machines   
built at the ,volta ,laboratory include 
both disc and cylinder types1 and an    
interesting tape recorder4 ,the records 
used with the machines and now in the   
collections of the ,u4 ,s4 ,national    
,museum1 are believed to be the oldest  
reproducible records preserved anywhere 
in the world4 ,while some are scratched 
and cracked1 others are still in good   
condition4  ,by #ahha the ,volta        
associates had succeeded in improving an
 ,edison tinfoil machine to some extent4
 ,wax was put in the grooves of the     

heavy iron cylinder1 and no tinfoil was 
used4 ,rather than apply for a patent at
 that time1 however1 they deposited the 
machine in a sealed box at the          
,smithsonian1 and specified that it was 
not to be opened without the consent of 
two of the three men4 ,in #aicg ,tainter
 7fig4 #a7 was the only one still       
living1 so the box was opened with his  
permission4  ,for the occasion1 the     
heirs of ,alexander ,graham ,bell       
gathered in ,washington1 but ,tainter   
was too old and too ill to come from    
,san ,diego4  ,the sound vibrations had 
been indented in the wax which had been 
applied to the ,edison phonograph4 ,the 
following is the text of the recording3 
,there are more things in heaven and    
earth1 ,horatio1 than are dreamed of in 
your philosophy4 ,i am a graphophone and
 my mother was a phonograph4 ,remarked  
,mrs4 ,gilbert ,grosvenor1#h ,bell's    
daughter1 when the box was opened in    
#aicg1 ,that is just the sort of thing  
father would have said4 ,he was always  

quoting from the classics4   ,figure    
#d4--,,patent ,,drawings from ,u4 ,s4   
patent #cdabad1 granted ,may #d1 #ahhf1 
to ,chichester ,bell and ,c4 ,s4        
,tainter4   ,the method of reproduction 
used on the machine1 however1 is even   
more interesting than the quotation4    
,rather than a stylus and diaphragm1 a  
jet of air under high pressure was used4
  ,this evening about #g ,p4 ,m41       
,tainter noted on ,july #g1 #ahha1 ,the 
apparatus being ready the valve upon the
 top of the air cylinder was opened     
slightly until a pressure of about #ajj 
lbs4 was indicated by the gage4 ,the    
phonograph cylinder was then rotated1   
and the sounds produced by the escaping 
air could be heard1 and the words       
understood a distance of at least #h    
feet from the phonograph4 ,the point of 
the jet is glass1 and could be directed 
at a single groove4   ,illustration3    
,figure #e4--;,,experimental            
,,graphophone photographed in #ahhd at  
the ,volta ,laboratory4 ,this is similar

 to one preserved at the ,smithsonian   
,institution4 7,smithsonian photo       
#ddcab-;,d47   ,the other experimental  
,graphophones indicate an amazing range 
of experimentation4 ,while the method of
 cutting a record on wax was the one    
later exploited commercially1 everything
 else seems to have been tried at least 
once4  ,the following was noted on      
,wednesday1 ,march #bj1 #ahha3 ,a       
fountain pen is attached to a diaphragm 
so as to be vibrated in a plane parallel
 to the axis of a cylinder--,the ink    
used in this pen to contain iron in a   
finely divided state1 and the pen caused
 to trace a spiral line around the      
cylinder as it turned4 ,the cylinder to 
be covered with a sheet of paper upon   
which the record is made4444 ,this ink  
444 can be rendered magnetic by means of
 a permanent magnet4 ,the sounds were to
 be reproduced by simply substituting a 
magnet for the fountain pen4444  ,the   
result of these ideas for magnetic      
reproduction resulted in patent #cdabhg1

 granted on ,may #d1 #ahhf2 it deals    
solely with the reproduction1 through   
the action of magnetism1 of sounds by   
means of records in solid substances4   
,illustration3 ,figure #f4--;,,another  
,,experimental ,,graphophone1           
photographed at the ,volta ,laboratory  
in #ahhd4 7,smithsonian photo           
#ddcab-;,f47   ,the air jet used in     
reproducing has already been described4 
,other jets1 of molten metal1 wax1 and  
water1 were also tried4 ,on ,saturday1  
,may #ai1 #ahhc1 ,tainter wrote 7see    
fig4 #c73       ,made the following     
experiment today3       ,the cylinder of
 the ,edison phonograph was covered with
 the coating      of paraffine-wax and  
then turned off true and smooth4        
,a cutting style ,a41 secured to the end
 of a lever ,b was then      adjusted   
over the cylinder1 as shown4 ,lever ,b  
was pivoted at the      points ,c-,d1   
and the only pressure exerted to force  
the style into      the wax was due to  
the weight of the parts4       ,upon the

 top of ,a was fixed a small brass disk1
 and immediately      over it a         
sensitive water jet adjusted1 so that   
the stream of water      at its         
sensitive part fell upon the center of  
the brass disk4       ,the ,phonograph  
cylinder ,e1 was rotated while words and
 sounds were      shouted to the support
 to which the water jet was attached1   
and a      record that was quite visible
 to the unaided eye was the result4     
,the tape recorder1 an unusual          
instrument which recorded mechanically  
on a #c_/af-;inch strip of wax-covered  
paper1 is one of the machines described 
and illustrated in ,u4 ,s4 patent       
#cdabad1 dated ,may #d1 #ahhf 7see fig4 
#d74 ,the strip was coated by dipping it
 in a solution of beeswax and paraffine 
7one part white beeswax1 two parts      
paraffine1 by weight71 then scraping one
 side clean and allowing the other side 
to harden4   ,illustration3 ,figure     
#g4--,,original ,,plans ,,for ,a ,,disc 
,,graphophone ,,patented ,,by ,,sumner  

,,tainter ,,in #ahhh1 ,u4 ,s4 ,,patent  
#chehhf4   ,the machine of sturdy wood  
and metal construction1 is hand powered 
by means of a knob fastened to the fly  
wheel4 ,from the fly-wheel shaft power  
is transferred by a small friction wheel
 to a vertical shaft4 ,at the bottom of 
this shaft a ,v-pulley transfers motion 
by belts to corresponding ,v-pulleys    
beneath the horizontal reels4  ,the wax 
strip passes from one #h-;inch reel     
around the periphery of a pulley 7with  
guide flanges7 mounted above the        
,v-pulleys on the main vertical shaft1  
where it comes in contact with the      
recording or reproducing stylus4 ,it is 
then taken up on the other reel4  ,the  
sharp recording stylus1 actuated by a   
vibrating mica diaphragm1 cuts the wax  
from the strip4 ,in reproducing1 a dull1
 loosely mounted stylus1 attached to a  
rubber diaphragm1 carried sounds through
 an ear tube to the listener4  ,both    
recording and reproducing heads1 mounted
 alternately on the same two posts1     

could be adjusted vertically so that    
several records could be cut on the same
 #c_/af-;inch strip4  ,while this       
machine was never developed             
commercially1 it is an interesting      
ancestor of the modern tape recorder1   
which it resembles somewhat in design4  
,how practical it was or just why it was
 built we do not know4 ,the tape is now 
brittle1 the heavy paper reels warped1  
and the reproducing head missing4       
,otherwise1 with some reconditioning1 it
 could be put into working condition4   
,most of the disc machines designed by  
the ,volta associates had the disc      
mounted vertically 7see figs4 #e and    
#f74 ,the explanation is that in the    
early experiments1 the turntable1 with  
disc1 was mounted on the shop lathe1    
along with the recording and reproducing
 heads4 ,later1 when the complete models
 were built1 most of them featured      
vertical turntables4   ,illustration3   
,figure #h4--;,,another ,,page ,,of     
,,the ,,plans ,,shown ,,in ,,figure #g4 

,the experimental ,graphophone built    
from these plans is in the ,u4 ,s4      
,national ,museum 7cat4 no4 #bhgffe74   
,an interesting exception has a         
horizontal #g-;inch turntable 7see figs4
 #g and #h74 ,this machine1 although    
made in #ahhf1 is a duplicate of one    
made earlier but taken to ,europe by    
,chichester ,bell4 ,tainter was granted 
,u4 ,s4 patent #chehhf for it on ,july  
#aj1 #ahhh4  ,the playing arm is rigid1 
except for a pivoted vertical motion of 
#ij degrees to allow removal of the     
record or a return to starting position4
 ,while recording or playing1 the record
 not only rotated1 but moved laterally  
under the stylus1 which thus described a
 spiral1 recording #aej grooves to the  
inch4  ,the ,bell and ,tainter records1 
preserved at the ,smithsonian1 are both 
of the lateral cut and hill-and-dale    
types4 ,edison for many years used the  
hill-and-dale method with both cylinder 
and disc records1 and ,emile ,berliner  
is credited with the invention of the   

lateral cut ,gramophone record in #ahhg4
 ,the ,volta associates1 however1 had   
been experimenting with both types1 as  
early as #ahha1 as is shown by the      
following quotation from ,tainter3#i    
,the record on the electro-type in the  
,smithsonian package is of the          
other form1 where the vibrations are    
impressed parallel to the      surface  
of the recording material1 as was done  
in the old ,scott      ,phonautograph of
 #aheg1 thus forming a groove of uniform
 depth1 but      of wavy character1 in  
which the sides of the groove act upon  
the      tracing point instead of the   
bottom1 as is the case in the vertical  
type4 ,this form we named the zig-zag   
form1 and referred to it in      that   
way in our notes4 ,its important        
advantage in guiding the                
reproducing needle ,i first called      
attention to in the note on p4          
#i-,vol #a-;,home ,notes on ,march      
#bi-ahha1 and endeavored to use it in my
      early work1 but encountered so    

much difficulty in getting a form of    
reproducer that would work with the soft
 wax records without      tearing the   
groove1 we used the hill and valley type
 of record more      often than the     
other4   ,in #ahhe1 when the ,volta     
associates were sure that they had a    
number of practical inventions1 they    
filed applications for patents4 ,they   
also began to look around for investors4
 ,after giving several demonstrations in
 ,washington1 they gained the necessary 
support1 and the ,american ,graphophone 
,co4 was organized to manufacture and   
sell the machines4 ,the ,volta          
,graphophone ,co4 was formed to control 
the patents4  ,the ,howe sewing machine 
factory at ,bridgeport1 ,connecticut1   
became the ,american ,graphophone plant2
 ,tainter went there to supervise the   
manufacturing1 and continued his        
inventive work for many years4 ,this    
,bridgeport plant is still in use today 
by a successor firm1 the ,dictaphone    
,corporation4  ,the work of the ,volta  

associates laid the foundation for the  
successful use of the dictating machine 
in business1 for their wax recording    
process was practical and their machines
 sturdy4 ,but it was to take several    
more years and the renewed work of      
,edison and further developments by     
,berliner and many others1 before the   
talking machine industry really got     
under way and became a major factor in  
home entertainment4#aj   ,,patents      
,,which ,,resulted ,,from ,,the ,,volta 
,,laboratory ,,association    ,patent   
,number   ,year        ,patent          
,inventors   #bbidie     #ahhj          
,telephone call register      ,c4 ,s4   
,tainter   #bcedif     #ahhj            
,photophone transmitter       ,a4 ,g4   
,bell1                                  
,c4 ,s4 ,tainter   #bcedig     #ahhj    
,selenium cells               ,a4 ,g4   
,bell1                                  
,c4 ,s4 ,tainter   #bceeij     #ahjj    
,selenium cells               ,c4 ,s4   
,tainter   #bdaiji     #ahha            

,photophonic receiver         ,a4 ,g4   
,bell1                                  
,c4 ,s4 ,tainter   #bdcfeg     #ahha    
,telephone transmitter        ,c4 ,s4   
,tainter   #bhigbe     #ahhc            
,electric conductor           ,c4 ,s4   
,tainter   #ccfjha     #ahhf            
,transmitter for electric     ,c4 ,a4   
,bell                        telephone  
lines   #ccfjhb     #ahhf    ,jet       
microphone for           ,c4 ,a4 ,bell  
transmitting sounds                     
by means of jets   #ccfjhc     #ahhf    
,telephone transmitter        ,c4 ,a4   
,bell   #ccfagc     #ahhf    ,telephone 
transmitter        ,c4 ,s4 ,tainter     
#cdabab     #ahhf    ,reproducing sounds
           ,a4 ,g4 ,bell1               
from phonograph              ,c4 ,a4    
,bell1                        records   
,c4 ,s4 ,tainter   #cdabac     #ahhf    
,reproducing and              ,a4 ,g4   
,bell1                        recording 
sounds by          ,c4 ,a4 ,bell1       
radiant energy               ,c4 ,s4    

,tainter   #cdabad     #ahhf            
,recording and reproducing    ,c4 ,a4   
,bell1                        speech and
 other sounds     ,c4 ,s4 ,tainter      
#cdabhg     #ahhf    ,recording and     
reproducing    ,c4 ,s4 ,tainter         
sounds   #cdabhh     #ahhf    ,apparatus
 for recording      ,c4 ,s4 ,tainter    
and reproducing sounds   #cgdacc        
#ahhg    ,paper cylinder for            
,c4 ,s4 ,tainter                        
graphophonic records   #cgeegi     #ahhg
    ,apparatus for recording      ,c4   
,s4 ,tainter                       and  
reproducing speech                      
and other sounds   #chjece     #ahhh    
,graphophone                  ,c4 ,s4   
,tainter   #chehhf     #ahhh            
,graphophone                  ,c4 ,s4   
,tainter   #chehhg     #ahhh            
,graphophonic tablet          ,c4 ,s4   
,tainter   #chhdfb     #ahhh    ,machine
 for making           ,c4 ,s4 ,tainter  
paper tubes   #cibgfc     #ahhh         
,mounting for diaphragms      ,c4 ,s4   

,tainter                        for     
acoustical                              
instruments   #cicaij     #ahhh         
,tablet for use in            ,c4 ,s4   
,tainter                                
graphophones   #cicaia     #ahhh        
,support for graphophonic     ,c4 ,s4   
,tainter                        tablets 
#dafifi     #ahhi    ,speed regulator   
,c4 ,s4 ,tainter   #dbadej     #ahij    
,graphophone tablet           ,c4 ,s4   
,tainter   #dbhfdf     #ahij    ,machine
 for the manufacture  ,c4 ,s4 ,tainter  
of wax coated tablets for               
graphophones   #ejfcdh    #ahic    ,coin
 controlled graphophone   ,c4 ,s4       
,tainter   #eajfef    #ahic             
,reproducer for graphophones   ,c4 ,s4  
,tainter   #fgjddb    #aija             
,graphophone record            ,c4 ,s4  
,tainter                                
duplicating machine   #gcjihf    #aijc  
,graphophone                   ,c4 ,s4  
,tainter  ,,contents ,,of ,,small       
,,chest ,,received ,,by ,,the           

,,smithsonian ,,institution ,,from      
,,mrs4 ,,laura ,f4 ,,tainter1 #aidg     
,books 7#aj7 containing the home notes1 
volumes #a to #h and #aa and #ab1       
inclusive1 ,march #ahha-,november #ahhc4
 7,vols1 #i1 #aj1 and #ac were burned   
in a laboratory fire1 ,september #ahig47
  ,binder containing drawings and notes 
for multiple record duplicator1         
,october #h1 #ahig-aijh1 and            
miscellaneous inquiries1 log1 telegraph 
recorder1 diet1 home plans4  ,binder    
containing printed specifications of    
patents1 ,s4 ,tainter1 ,a4 ,g4          
,bell1 and ,c4 ,a4 ,bell1 ,june #bi1    
#ahhj to ,june #af1 #aijc4  ,medal1     
,exposition ,internationale             
d',electricite1 ,paris1 #ahha1 marked   
,tainter4  ,medal1 ,panama-,pacific     
,exposition1 ,san ,francisco1 #aiae1    
,medal of ,award4  ,seven purple lapel  
rosettes 7871 one with ribbon and palms1
 in boxes     marked #ahij4 ,notes in   
newspaper clipping4  ,records of        
testimony of ,c4 ,s4 ,tainter in various

 suits involving the     phonograph3    
,volta ,graphophone ,co4 vs4 ,columbia  
,phonograph ,co41     no4 #adecc1       
,supreme ,court of the ,district of     
,columbia1 dated ,january #ac1          
#ahid2 ,american ,graphophone ,co4 vs4  
,u4 ,s4 ,phonograph ,co41 ,u4 ,s4       
,circuit ,court1 ,new ,jersey1 dated    
,may #ad1 #ahie2 ,american ,graphophone 
,co4     vs4 ,edw4 ,h4 ,amet1 ,u4 ,s4   
,circuit ,court1 ,northern ,district1   
,illinois1     in equity1 dated         
,february #ad1 #ahif2 ,american         
,graphophone ,co4 vs4     ,u4 ,s4       
,phonograph ,co41 et al41 ,u4 ,s4       
,circuit ,court1 ,new ,jersey1 in       
equity1 no date2 ,american ,graphophone 
,co4 vs4 ,leeds et al41 ,u4 ,s4         
,circuit ,court1 ,two ,district1 ,new   
,york1 ,n4 ,y41 no date2 testimony      
marked     ,questions asked in ,edison  
,co4 suits 7duplicate copies7 no date1  
no     citation4  ,,contents ,,of       
,,small ,,chest ,,received ,,by ,,the   
,,smithsonian ,,institution ,,from      

,,mrs4 ,,laura ,f4 ,,tainter1 #aiej     
,typed manuscript--,memoirs of ,charles 
,sumner ,tainter 7plus many             
photostats of notes and articles7       
#d-a_/b inches thick1 pp4 #a-ga to      
about #ahgh1 pp4 #a to #ajd to factory  
at ,bridgeport1 some pages missing4     
,box--containing handwritten notes for  
memoirs includes copies of text     of  
above 7less photostats72 copies of short
 biography2 agreement     creating      
,american ,graphophone ,co42 letter of  
election to life     membership in the  
,american ,association for the          
,advancement of ,science4               
,binder--exhibits of ,tainter drawings  
in ,american ,graphophone ,co4 vs4      
,edison ,phonograph ,works41 vol4 #a1   
,u4 ,s4 ,circuit ,court1 ,new ,jersey4  
,folder--clippings and photostats       
relating to the machines deposited in   
,smithsonian4  ,certificate of          
appointment ,officer de l',instruction  
publique1 ,france1     ,october #ca1    
#ahhi1 for exhibition of ,graphophone1  

,exposition     ,universelle1 #ahhi4    
,framed photo of ,berliner  ,tainter1   
#aiai4  ,photo of ,tainter1 #aiai4      
,separate package containing gold medal1
 certificate1 ,panama-,pacific          
,exposition1 ,san ,francisco1 #aiae2    
gold medal1 certificate1 ,exposition    
,internationale ,electricite1 ,paris1   
#ahha4     ,footnotes3  #a ,charles     
,sumner ,tainter 7#ahed-aidj71 ,the     
talking machine and some little known   
facts in connection with its early      
development1 unpublished manuscript in  
the collections of the ,u4 ,s4 ,national
 ,museum4  #b ,one of the most          
interesting prophecies was written in   
#afef by ,cyrano de ,bergerac1 in his   
,comic history of the states and empires
 of the ,moon3  ',i began to study      
closely my books and their covers which 
impressed me for their richness4 ,one   
was decorated with a single diamond1    
more brilliant by far than ours4 ,the   
second seemed but a single pearl cleft  
in twain4  ',when ,i opened the covers1 

,i found inside something made of metal1
 not unlike our clocks1 full of         
mysterious little springs and almost    
invisible mechanisms4 ',tis a book1 'tis
 true1 but a miraculous book1 which has 
no pages or letters4 ,indeed1 'tis a    
book which to enjoy the eyes are        
useless2 only ears suffice4 ,when a man 
desires to read1 then1 he surrounds this
 contrivance with many small tendons of 
every kind1 then he places the needle on
 the chapter to be heard and1 at the    
same time1 there come1 as from the mouth
 of a man or from an instrument of      
music1 all those clear and separate     
sounds which make up the ,lunarians'    
tongue4' 7,see ,a4 ,coeuroy and ,g4     
,clarence1 ,le phonographe1 ,paris1     
#aibi1 p4 #i1 #aj47  #c ,tainter        
retained a lifelong admiration for      
,alexander ,graham ,bell4 ,this is      
,tainter's description of their first   
meeting in ,cambridge3 444 one day ,i   
received a visit from a very            
distinguished looking gentleman with jet

 black hair and beard1 who announced    
himself as ,mr4 ,a4 ,graham ,bell4 ,his 
charm of manner and conversation        
attracted me greatly4444 ,tainter1 op4  
cit4 7footnote #a71 p4 #b4  #d ,a4 ,g4  
,bell apparently spent little time in   
the ,volta ,laboratory4 ,the ,dr4 ,bell 
referred to in ,tainter's notebooks is  
,chichester ,a4 ,bell4 ,the basic       
graphophone patent 7,u4 ,s4 patent      
#cdabad7 was issued to ,c4 ,a4 ,bell and
 ,tainter4 ,the ,tainter material       
reveals ,a4 ,g4 ,bell as the man who    
suggested the basic lines of research   
7and furnished the money71 and then     
allowed his associates to get the credit
 for many of the inventions that        
resulted4  #e ,tainter1 op4 cit4        
7footnote #a71 p4 #c4  #f ,ibid41 p4 #e4
  #g ,ibid41 p4 #cj4  #h ,as quoted by  
,the ,washington ,herald1 ,october #bh1 
#aicg4  #i ,tainter1 op4 cit4 7footnote 
#a71 pp4 #bh1 #bi4  #aj ,the basic      
distinction between the first ,edison   
patent1 and the ,bell and ,tainter      

patent of #ahhf was the method of       
recording4 ,edison's method was to      
indent the sound waves on a piece of    
tin-foil 7wax was included as a         
recording material in his ,english      
patent72 the ,bell and ,tainter         
improvement called for cutting or       
engraving the sound waves into a wax    
record1 with a sharp recording stylus4  
,the strength of ,bell and ,tainter     
patent is indicated by the following    
excerpt from a letter written by a      
,washington patent attorney1 ,s4 ,t4    
,cameron1 who was a member of the law   
firm which carried on litigation for the
 ,american ,graphophone ,co4 ,the letter
 is dated ,december #h1 #aiad1 and is   
addressed to ,george ,c4 ,maynard1      
,curator of ,mechanical ,technology1 ,u4
 ,s4 ,national ,museum3 ,subsequent to  
the issuance of the ,bell and ,tainter  
patent ,no4 #cdabad1 ,edison announced  
that he would shortly produce his 'new  
phonograph' which1 when it appeared1 was
 in fact nothing but the ,bell and      

,tainter record set forth in their      
patent #cdabad1 being a record cut or   
engraved in wax or wax-like material1   
although ,edison always insisted on     
calling this record an 'indented'       
record1 doubtless because his original  
tin-foil record was an 'indented'       
record4 ,edison was compelled to        
acknowledge that his 'new phonograph'   
was an infringement of the ,bell and    
,tainter patent #cdabad1 and took out a 
license under the ,bell and ,tainter    
patent and made his records under that  
patent as the result of that license4