Name/Title
Rees' Linguaphone Records (c. 1905)Entry/Object ID
266Description
Rees' Linguaphone Records (c. 1905)
Early Language Cylinders for International Education
These rare phonograph cylinders are part of one of the first systematic language courses ever developed. Around 1900, British language educator William Rees pioneered the Pictorial Language System, laying the foundation for what would later become the renowned Linguaphone Institute.
The cylinders on display here are titled "Rees’ Linguaphone Record" and were originally accompanied by specially illustrated language books. Each cylinder contains a spoken lesson, recorded by native speakers – often in English, French, German, or Spanish.
The aim was to teach languages through listening, seeing, and repeating – a method that still underpins modern language education today.
Features of these cylinders:
Produced in standard wax cylinder format
Labeled: “Sterling Linguaphone Record” or “Rees’ Linguaphone Record”
Content: Complete sentence-based language lessons, often with both slow and fast repetitions
These cylinders offer a fascinating glimpse into the origins of language learning with audio – decades before tape, cassettes, or apps would enter the scene.
