My college apartment welcomed a new piece of technology this past holiday season. No, it wasn’t a flat-screen television, a video game console, or a smart home device. To me, it was something more special. I added a brand-new Victrola record player to my bedroom to enjoy my growing collection of vinyl records. As I began to spin “the platters that matter,” as one of my college professors likes to say, I found myself reflecting on the differences between my new Victrola and Thomas Edison’s first phonographs. After all, Thomas Edison invented what we now recognize as the first record players. So, what are the differences between Edison’s phonographs and those of his competitors, and why did they persist while Edison, the creator, ceased producing new phonographs in the late 1920s?
What Were The Differences in The Recording Medium?
Believe it or not, Thomas Edison’s first phonograph, created at age 30 in 1877, used a surprisingly similar recording medium to what you might find in a kitchen pantry: tinfoil. Edison discovered that the phonograph could record sounds using a needle and basic tinfoil and play them back with the same equipment. While effective, his initial tinfoil sheets did not last long. He began producing wax cylinders, which provided better sound quality than the early tinfoil recordings, though they were more sensitive to temperature changes. Eventually, Edison started making plastic cylinders, which were significantly more durable than previous materials. Although he initially attempted to create the disc records we know today in 1878, just one year after inventing his phonograph, he did not begin producing and selling disc records until 1911. He fashioned these disc records from a special type of hard plastic known as phenol, which was extremely tough and durable but could be damaged by high moisture or humidity.
Due to commercial necessity, Thomas Edison gradually transitioned from cylinder records to disc records in the early 20th century. His competitors, like the Victor Talking Machine Company, were producing and selling disc records at astonishing rates compared to Edison’s cylinders. The public favored discs over cylinders for their storage capacity and durability. The first disc record for commercial use dates to 1888, when Emile Berliner, the inventor of the Gramophone, made a disc recording from rubber. Unlike Edison’s machine, which could record and play back sound, Berliner needed two machines: one for recording and another for playback. Berliner soon shifted from rubber pressings to shellac pressings, which, although considerably thinner and more brittle than Edison’s large and heavy records, were much easier to mass-produce on a grand scale. Many of Edison’s competitors opted for slim discs instead of Edison’s bulky discs.
What Were The Differences In Sound Reproduction?
The most notable difference between Edison’s machine and his competitors was the method of sound reproduction. Edison and his rivals used two main methods: vertical grooves and lateral grooves.
Thomas Edison used vertical groove technology for creating his cylinders and discs. This technology, often referred to as “hill-and-dale” technology, involves the stylus or needle moving vertically up and down. The depth of the groove varies to encode sound vibrations. The advantages of the hill-and-dale method of sound reproduction include better fidelity and reduced susceptibility to wear and tear when a quality stylus is used. Edison sourced sapphires and diamonds for his needles, resulting in a richer sound. However, the disadvantage of this technique is that it is difficult to reproduce, meaning customers could not play competitors’ discs or cylinders on an Edison machine. Once a customer purchased an Edison phonograph, they could only buy from Edison.
Edison’s competitors employed lateral groover technology for sound reproduction. Lateral groove technology, often referred to as “side-to-side” technology, is prevalent in most modern record players today. In lateral grooves, the stylus moves horizontally from side to side within the groove as the record spins. The width and direction of the grooves vary to encode sound vibrations. Records utilizing this method had advantages; although they did not offer the high fidelity of Edison’s hill-and-dale records, they could be mass-produced cost-effectively and were compatible with various styluses and tonearms. This compatibility allowed record player owners to play records from one company on another company’s machine.
What Were the Differences in the Cultural and Commercial Impact of Each?
Edison’s phonographs set the standard for sound quality, celebrated for their impressive fidelity and luxurious appearance. Additionally, consumers recognized that the Edison name carried significant weight. The Edison trademark promised impeccable craftsmanship, and indeed, some phonographs at the Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum, over a century old, still operate like brand new! However, many of Edison’s phonographs were not affordable for everyone, with some models priced between $580 and $7,200 in today’s dollars.
Edison’s competitors often sold their phonographs, which were cheaper to produce, for less money, thereby making it possible for those who couldn’t necessarily afford an Edison machine to have phonograph machines in their homes. Additionally, Edison’s competitors embraced mass marketing. Victor’s most famous mascot, Nipper, dominated newspapers, stores, and businesses across the United States. In the original painting, Nipper was listening to an Edison phonograph. However, when the artist submitted this iconic image for Edison to promote his phonograph, Edison’s representatives reportedly failed to see how a picture of a dog “hearing his master’s voice” could boost their sales. It boosted Victor's sales, and different Victrolas models are still sold today in 2025. Victor eventually became part of RCA, which has signed artists like Dolly Parton, Hall & Oates, Wu-Tang Clan, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, Pitbull, and many others.
The Columbia Phonograph Company made its legacy by signing big-name artists, such as Louis Armstrong, in 1926. Columbia went on to sign other artists, such as Frank Sinatra, Charlie Christian, Count Basie, Teddy Wilson, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Columbia is better known today as a motion picture firm.
While Berliner did not achieve any notable names for a record label, his invention, the gramophone, soon contributed to one of the greatest honors in the music industry: the Grammy Award. In the 1950s, recording industry executives sought to create an award to rival the Oscars and the Emmys. Initially, they intended to call their award the “Eddie” after Thomas Edison, but after a mail-in name contest, the name “Grammy” was chosen. Although Thomas Edison’s name was not selected for the recording industry’s top honor, he did win two Grammys posthumously. His first Grammy was awarded in 1977, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the invention of his first phonograph, and he received his second Grammy in 2010. The 2010 Grammy was accepted on behalf of his family by Thomas Edison, and visitors to the Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum can see the Grammy in person during their visit! So, while the Edison name may no longer remain prominent in the recording field, the recording industry would not have been possible without Thomas Edison’s contributions.
Sources Used and Encouraged for Further Reading
Hawkins, Russ. 2024. “Phonograph vs. Gramophone: Difference Explained.” Turntable Trends. https://turntabletrends.com/phonograph-vs-gramophone/
Library of Congress. n.d. “The Gramophone | Articles and Essays | Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry | Digital Collections.” Library of Congress. Accessed January 14, 2025. https://www.loc.gov/collections/emile-berliner/articles-and-essays/gramophone/
Library of Congress. n.d. “History of the Cylinder Phonograph | History of Edison Sound Recordings | Articles and Essays | Inventing Entertainment: The Early Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings of the Edison Companies | Digital Collections.” Library of Congress. Accessed January 14, 2025. https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/history-of-edison-sound-recordings/history-of-the-cylinder-phonograph
Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC). n.d. “Inherent Vice: Early Sound Recordings.” Media Collections. Accessed January 30, 2025. https://www.nedcc.org/preservation101/session-6/6inherent-vice-sound-recordings
RCA. n.d. “RCA Dog: Our Famous Nipper & Chipper.” RCA. Accessed January 14, 2025. https://www.rca.com/us_en/nipper-chipper-1720-us-en
University of Rutgers-New Brunswick School of Arts and Sciences' Thomas A. Edison Papers. n.d. “Disc Phonograph.” Thomas A. Edison Papers. Accessed January 14, 2025. https://edison.rutgers.edu/life-of-edison/inventions?catid=91&id=529&view=article
Yale University Library Irving S. Gilmore Music Library. n.d. “The History of 78 RPM Recordings | Yale University Library.” Yale University Library Irving S. Gilmore Music Library. Accessed January 14, 2025. https://web.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music/historyof78rpms
Dillon Liskai, a native of Clyde, Ohio, is currently a junior at Bowling Green State University. He is pursuing a degree in Adolescent to Young Adult (AYA) Integrated Social Studies Education with a specialization in History.
For the past three years, Dillon has worked as a tour guide at the Thomas A. Edison Birthplace Museum. When not at school or the museum, he enjoys cheering on the Bowling Green Falcons, spending time with friends and family, and exploring local history.
Have a question for Dillon? Reach out via email at dliskai@tomedison.org!
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