Name/Title
Graphophone "Simplex" Shaving DeviceEntry/Object ID
258Description
Columbia Phonograph Co., USA, ca. 1900
Wax Cylinder Shaving Attachment – for reuse by resurfacing
This accessory was specifically developed for the Graphophone models Type N and Bijou, and was advertised in catalogs around 1900 as the “Simplex Shaving Knife.” It is a technical aid designed to make wax cylinders reusable by carefully shaving off the top layer to allow for a new recording.
Function and Construction
The Simplex shaver is mounted directly onto the Graphophone carriage in place of the reproducer. As the cylinder rotates, a fixed steel blade glides over the surface, removing a fine layer of wax. A side-mounted hand crank with a worm gear ensures steady and even movement across the cylinder.
A notable feature: the device is fully detachable and can be mounted or removed within seconds – as contemporary advertisements emphasized, it is “instantly detachable.”
Historical Context
Wax cylinders were expensive to produce. Reusable recording media therefore represented a major economic advantage, especially in professional environments such as offices, dictation systems, and education. Early advertisements promoted the combination of a recording machine and shaving device as a “Talking Machine with Shaving Attachment.”
Significance in the Edisonium Mariazell
The device on display is an original, fully functional unit, accompanied by period advertising and catalog descriptions. It illustrates the technical and practical solutions of the early phonographic era – and is a rare example of everyday sound recording technology around 1900
