BIG NEWS: Pre-Edison Recording (1860) Story 3/27 NPR

[scotrace]

BIG news.

From the New York Times today (front page):

For more than a century, since he captured the spoken words “Mary had a little lamb” on a sheet of tinfoil, Thomas Edison has been considered the father of recorded sound. But researchers say they have unearthed a recording of the human voice, made by a little-known Frenchman, that predates Edison’s invention of the phonograph by nearly two decades.


Whole Story.

In the 1850's, this fellow, ?âdouard-L?©on Scott de Martinville, recorded what he deemed pictures of sound on sooted paper - but never made the great leap of reasoning that this same recording could be played back. If he had, we might today know what Lincoln sounded like!

Be sure to catch All Things Considered this afternoon.

 

[Eileen MacBride]

Are you recieving me?

I just heard this recording on the radio, a haunting sound. I am fairly certain folks who miss it today or who don't have NPR in their listening area can find it archived online later.

Very interesting, piece, thank you for sharing it.

 

[RetroToday]

Very cool!

I didn't realize there were attempts that early to record sound that way. It's amazing that we have the technology to play it back today, they couldn't...

Thanks for sharing the story here, I might have missed it otherwise.

 

[Midnight Palace]

For all those who haven't heard it yet...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE6_M6BkUM8

I agree, it is haunting!

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

The patent wars for the recording process were horrendous in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I find it strange that if this individual did record the human voice 17 years before Edison, why did he not weigh in on the battle for recognition when there was so much to be gained?

 

[scotrace]

Ah, but he (Scott) did. To the end of his days, he published letters decrying Edison having "stolen" the idea (untrue), and asking his countrymen to come to his defense out of French pride.

I don't know that Scott took any legal action.

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

Scott and Edison’s efforts were to arrive totally different results, and both achieved the true purpose of their research. However I can understand his dismay when Scott realized the popularity he had missed by Edison’s creation though that was not what he was trying to create. The recording exists so his claim was valid. I wander if he bothered to seek legal council on the matter, or was he too old for the fight by then?

And the voice is ghostly, sounding like the recordings of “spirits” frequently presented as evidence by paranormals, only clearer.

 

[AlanC]

A wonderful discovery!

Did the guy perfect a light bulb, too?

If he had, we might today know what Lincoln sounded like!

Well, we dodged that bullet.

 

[jamespowers]

This is story is serious? This guy has claim to nothing as far as I am concerned. He didn't even know what he was trying to invent until someone did it better with real results that could be played back at the time it was invented not 150 years later with a ton of technology that didn't exist then. That recording is really just a mess of sound. I couldn't understand a single word. I have heard EVPs from TAPS that were clearer than that and EVPs supposedly come from the hereafter.
This guy had sourgrapes syndrome.

 

[alexandra]

It's weird but I read about this today when I was trying to find out about one of our antique record playing devices today!