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EdisonThe birth of the telephone (1914)

The birth of the telephone
Spoken by: Thomas A. Watson, assistant to Alexander Graham Bell
Recording date: c. 1914
Location: Edison motion picture film studio, Bronx, NY
Record format: Edison Kinetophone cylinder
Record number: 257 B-2 (D-B2 Bell)
NPS object catalog number: EDIS 4634
Note: The motion picture element of this sound film is believed lost.


This audio is part of the collection: 78 RPMs & Cylinder Recordings

Artist/Composer: Edison
Date: 1914-00-00 00:00:00
Source: National Park Service
Keywords: Spoken Word

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Caper - - October 19, 2005
Subject: Thomas Watson NOT Edison!
I'm assuming the previous review was joking since this sound clip is Thomas Watson NOT Edison!
That's why the first words over the phone were
"Mr WATSON, Come here, I want you!"
The film is still in existence - I have seen it on TV more than once. Thomas Watson is older, white haired, standing by a table on which are some examples of the first telephone.
AG Bell and Edison were more rivals than good friends.
Edsion was not happy when Bell made improvements on Edison's mediocre "Phonograph" which was not a commercial success, renamed it the "Graphophone" and made a lot of money from it.
Edison called Bell a "pirate" although what Bell did was perfectly legal, having acquired the rights to the "Phonograph" first. Edison was just annoyed that he hadn't seen the potential himself.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - February 28, 2005
Subject: Edison, come here, I want you!
Very interesting record telling about how Edison, and his good good friend Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Although I am very surprised (Edison's account here) at how much Edison contributed to the invention of it. Quite interesting as well was the many experiments Edison and Bell did with the early prototypes with the phone, Edison says that he was the first person to transmit a 'sound' using the phone (not Bell, who apparently was the first VOICE). Soon, craziness erupts, as Edison and Bell have conversations where they "could almost figure out what they were saying" LOL. Classic. This record sounded like it was part of a display showing the phones at the same time. Pretty interesting stuff!!