Famous Victorian Voices Recorded by Thomas Edison’s ‘Perfected’ Phonograph in 1888

Kings and Things took an informative look at early recording equipment, noting that while the very first recording of the human voice in 1860 was by Edouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, it was Thomas Edison‘s phonograph that took the industry by storm. His signature device underwent several updates before it was “perfected” enough to record a number of very famous Victorian voices in the year 1888.

We look at how efforts to promote Edison’s new “perfected” phonograph in Britain led to the preservation of the voices of many famous Victorians – from poets and composers like Robert Browning and Arthur Sullivan, to major political figures like William Gladstone. We will also see how his rivals finally succeeded in recording the voice of Queen Victoria.