Edison’s Phonograph at the Crystal Palace and Transatlantic Messaging, 1888
€ 130
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Date
1888
Sheet size
28.4 × 40.2 cm (11.2 × 15.8 in)
Reference
BG-13839-11
Condition
Minor edge wear, slight foxing on margins and a few brown spots in middle, but vibrant hand-coloring, small tear on the bottom right corner, outside the image. Overall well-preserved and visually appealing. Please study scans carefully.
About this sheet
Edison’s Phonograph at the Crystal Palace and Transatlantic Messaging, 1888
This hand-colored wood engraving, published in *The Illustrated London News* on July 14, 1888, illustrates two groundbreaking moments in the history of sound recording and communication featuring Thomas Edison’s perfected phonograph. These images showcase the revolutionary technology’s application in both public and private settings, highlighting its transformative impact on 19th-century society.
The top panel depicts the use of Edison’s phonograph in the press gallery during the Handel Festival at the Crystal Palace in London. Reporters, seated at a large table, are seen recording the music and speeches for playback and transcription. The setting reflects the grandeur of the Crystal Palace, with its iron and glass architecture framing the scene, symbolizing the intersection of industrial innovation and cultural events. This image emphasizes the phonograph’s role in advancing journalism by capturing audio for accurate reporting.
The lower panel portrays a domestic scene where individuals receive a recorded message from America via Edison’s phonograph. A small group, including children, gathers around the device with expressions of fascination and delight. The image captures the intimacy of sound recording, showing how the phonograph connected families and friends across great distances, making it a marvel of its time. The ornate Victorian interior, complete with framed photographs, lush plants, and an organ in the background, underscores the phonograph’s role as a centerpiece of technological and social progress.
These illustrations, enhanced with vivid hand coloring, bring the technological advances of the 1880s to life, making this print a valuable artifact for collectors of Victorian-era innovations, Edison memorabilia, or the history of sound recording and communication. This engraving offers a fascinating glimpse into the excitement surrounding one of the most significant inventions of the 19th century.
