The photo you see is of a very early treadle-powered Graphophone Type "B", ca 1889. In this basic form the infant Graphophone dueled with Edison's "Improved" Phonograph during the first years of the 1890s. Though it was ultimately unsuccessful, the "Bell-Tainter" style Graphophone had spurred Edison to make his original, impractical Phonograph commerically viable. Courtesy Sam Sheena.

The COMPENDIUM has eight descriptive chapters of history in a large format 256 page hardcover volume. It has nearly 600 full color illustrations showing a mind-boggling variety of talking machines: both cylinder record and disc record playing instruments. Over 30 of the world's finest collections were sampled for the very best examples of each type of machine. It covers in detail both outside-horn and inside-horn machines. It contains lengthy captions, an index, a glossary and even a guide to values. The COMPENDIUM is like having a a whole bookshelf in one volume. Each copy purchased from us is autographed by Tim Fabrizio.

CHAPTER ONE covers the beginnings of the talking machine, from the earliest work of Thomas Edison and Charles Cros to the development of the Graphophone and the formation of the North American Phonograph Company.

There are fabulous pictures of Edison Tinfoil Phonographs and early Graphophones. Also covered is the development of the Gramophone by Emile Berliner, as well as discussions of the Edison Talking Doll and the earliest coin-operated phonographs. All generously illustrated with full color photographs.

Click here to continue to synopsis of CHAPTER TWO WITH MORE COLOR PHOTOS.

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