Name/Title
“The Machine That Talks! The Graphophone”, Advertising brochure of the Columbia Phonograph CompanyEntry/Object ID
301Description
USA, 1896 | First edition | 40 pages
Historical Background
This brochure was published in 1896, when Columbia was actively promoting its Graphophones – both as entertainment devices and as office dictation machines.
The title “The Machine That Talks!” was meant to capture the imagination of the public, presenting the talking machine as something marvelous: a device that could record speech, song, and music and reproduce them perfectly, again and again.
Contents
The booklet explained the function of the Graphophone in simple terms:
Construction: diaphragm, needle, cylinder, and spring motor
Use: for entertainment, music, singing, dictation, and public demonstrations
Applications: households, schools, offices, shops, and exhibitions
It also contained price lists and illustrations of various models – from the small “Bijou” to the larger “Standard Graphophone” with treadle or electric motor. Accessories such as listening tubes, horns, and shaving devices were also advertised.
Significance
This brochure shows how early the phonograph industry used printed marketing materials to promote its products. It combined technical explanations with emotional appeals: preserving a child’s voice, enjoying music permanently, or entertaining large social gatherings.
Very few copies of this booklet have survived. The example preserved in the Edisonium is a remarkably well-kept original, offering unique insight into the self-promotion of the Columbia Phonograph Company and standing as an important witness to the early history of sound recording.
