Edison Phonograph

The first machine to record and play back sound/Inventions & Discoveries

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, making it the first device capable of both recording and reproducing sound. The original tin-foil phonograph used a hand-cranked cylinder wrapped in tin foil, with a stylus that traced grooves as sound vibrated a diaphragm. The machine was about 46 cm long and weighed around 6 kg. Edison reportedly shouted 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' into the device for the first recording.