Phonautograph, after Leon Scott — Teylers Museum

Phonautograph, after Leon Scott

1865

How do you store sound? In the 19th century the possibility to record sound had long been wished for. In 1843 the Frenchman Duhamel set the first step towards solving the problem. His apparatus could record sound vibration on a smoked plate by means of a stylus attached to a tuning fork. This ‘Phonautograph’ by Scott from 1857 was a big improvement. By using a screw thread the recording cylinder could make several revolutions, which considerably added to the length of the sound track . In 1877 an identical phonautograph inspired Thomas Alva Edison to develop his ‘phonograph’: An apparatus that could also reproduce the recorded sound.

Administration name

Fysisch Kabinet

Title

Phonautograph, after Leon Scott

Translated title

Phonautograph, after Leon Scott

Creator

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Dating

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Measurements

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Object number

FK 0275

Reproduction reference

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Order image