1878 Edison Phonograph
'the greatest invention of the present century'
Remarkably, within a year of Edison's invention of
the phonograph, this new technology was on view in
Jamaica.
"Of all my inventions, I like the phonograph best." Thomas Edison
the Edison Phonograph, 1878
(taken from a contemporary photo of Edison with his new machine)
In a fogotten moment of Jamaican history an equally forgotten American actor introduced Jamaicans to the most recent and remarkable development in 19th century technology. They were already familiar with the steam engine - at sea, on rails, on the road and in the sugar mill - and more recently with the electric telegraph; but Will E Chapman demonstrated something previously impossible - recording and reproduction of the human voice.
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Will E Chapman, an actor, comedian and writer, wrote the
play 'The New Detective' to show the possibilities of the
phonograph and took it on tour in the USA in 1878. I have
found little information on Chapman and any possible link with
Edison. Possibly the play did not do as well as hoped, and late
in the year he embarked on a tour of the Caribbean, starting
it would seem in Jamaica, since the 'Claribel' on which he
arrived in Kingston, had sailed from New York. So far I have
found nothing further on Chapman's career.
Daily Gleaner, November 30, 1878
The citizens of Kingston will soon have an opportunity of witnessing to marvellous performances of the phonograph. Mr. W. E. Chapman who arrived here yesterday in the Claribel has brought with him one of the above instruments, and intends very shortly to give an exhibition of its wonderful capabilities. The phonograph gained for Mr. Edison from the Paris Exposition [1878 May-November] a medal for having given to the world the greatest invention of the present century. The purpose of the instrument, as most of our readers are probably aware is to register and reproduce sounds. A sentence spoken or a bar sung or played near the phonograph is registered upon a piece of tin foil by means of a needle which is actuated by the sonorous vibrations. When it is desired to reproduce the sounds so registered the foil is removed and placed in a different position, a handle is turned and the sentence or bar is brought out in the precise tone in which it was spoken or sung. Mr. Chapman will introduce at the public entertainment which he purposes giving, many of the songs of the leading artists of America in voices not distinguishable from the original. He will also produce several of the cornet airs of the celebrated Arthur Bent. To detail all the wonderful uses to which the phonograph can be put would fill several columns; but we trust that Mr. Chapman's arrangements are such that he will be able to afford the public an early opportunity of seeing for themselves what it can do. His Excellency the Governor has been solicited to be present at the first entertainment, and he will probably comply.
[It is not entirely clear that Edison received a medal at the 1878 Paris Exposition, as there was apparently some problem about his actually having the phonograph entered at the Exposition; nevertheless the new technology clearly made an impact.]
Daily Gleaner, December 7, 1878
Mr. Chapman's exhibition of the phonograph is to take place this evening. The entertainment will be commenced by a short lecture, explaining the operation of the phonograph and of the scientific principles on which its construction is founded. After this, the powers of the instrument will be illustrated practically.
This great invention, like most of the productions of genius, is marvellously simple, and the people who go to see it this evening will probably be as much astonished at this characteristic, as by the wonderful things it is capable of doing. A speech, a song, a piece of music - anything, which has been phonographed, can be preserved for an absolutely indefinite period, and then, by being operated upon in the instrument can be reproduced. If some philosopher of antiquity had invented the phonograph, we might now be able to hear Æschines, Demosthenes or Cicero, by simply turning a crank. Mr. Chapman's talent as a character artist will enable him to make his exhibition of the phonograph not only instructive, but highly amusing.
Daily Gleaner, December 9, 1878
THE PHONOGRAPH.
In consequence of the disgraceful state of the Theatre Royal. The rain having poured in on the North side every seat on that side of the Dress Circle, being thoroughly wet, Mr. W. E. Chapman reluctantly postponed the Exhibition of Mr. Edison's Marvelous Invention until Tuesday night, when weather permitting, the entertainment will take place. The Municipality will, we trust, at once set artisans on the roof to repair the leaks; for should an audience be assembled and it happens to rain, the loss will be large; for dearly they will have to pay for the damage done to ladies' dresses.
A message was sent to his Excellency the Governor through the telephone intimating the postponement of the exhibition till Tuesday, to which his Excellency replied, acquiescing in the arrangement.
Daily Gleaner, December 10, 1878
Mr. Chapman's exhibition of the phonograph, postponed last Saturday, on account of the rain, will take place this evening.
Daily Gleaner, December 11, 1878
THE EXHIBITION OF THE PHONOGRAPH.
Mr. Will. E. Chapman, according to announcement, exhibited the phonograph at the Theatre Royal, yesterday evening. The house was well filled by a very respectable audience. His Excellency the Governor, Hon E. H. Walker and General Mann were present. The entertainment was begun by Mr. Chapman's reciting a humorous piece entitled "The Stranger"; after which Mr. E. Tudor recited "The Charge of the Light Brigade," and then Mr. Chapman appeared in costume as "The Vagabond." His performance of this part was an admirable piece of acting and received the vigorous applause of the audience. The phonograph itself was then brought forward, and its construction and modus operandi were briefly and lucidly explained by the exhibitor. The instrument is very simply constructed. It consists of a cylinder of brass, about four or five inches in length and something less in diameter, spirally grooved, which is rotated by turning handle, at one end of its axis. The other end of the axis of the cylinder has grooves exactly corresponding to the grooves on the cylinder. Above the cylinder is an adjustment for holding a needle. The needle is in the centre of a metal diaphragm and the diaphragm is fixed in a small framework on the end of a moveable armature, so arranged that the needle can be placed in contact with the cylinder or rather with the tin foil which is wrapped around the cylinder, and on which the registrations are made. By turning the handle spoken of, the cylinder is rotated, and the spiral grooves on one end of its axis, cause the cylinder to travel in its frame-work to the right or to the left according as the handle is turned forward or backward. - When it is desired to phonograph a number of words, a piece of tin foil is wrapped about the cylinder; the needle is adjusted in contact with the foil; a mouthpiece screwed into the framework of the diaphragm, the words are spoken in a loud tone into the mouthpiece, and at the same time the cylinder is rotated by turning the handle. diaphragm. The vibrations of the voice are communicated to the diaphragm which moves the needle, and as the needle moves it indents the tin foil. It is thus that the sounds are registered. They are reproduced by a reversal of the process. The cylinder is turned the other way, and each indentation of the tin foil as it meets the needle, gives to the needle the same movement that it (the needle) had when it made the indentation; the diaphragm is in turn thrown into the same state of vibration that it was in when it moved the needle; and as that state of vibration corresponded to the sound communicated through the mouthpiece, it follows that that sound must, by this reversed process, be reproduced. Mr. Chapman began his illustrations, by saluting the instrument thus "Hilloa, Mister phonograph, how do you do?'' He then turned the handle the other way, and the words came out pretty distinctly, but in a low tone. Still the effect of hearing a man's voice reproduced in such a marvelous way was startling, and the audience greeted this first manifestation with loud applause. The second experiment was better,
Mary had a little corn,
Upon her little toe.
And every place that Mary went
That corn was sure to go.
was repeated by the instrument with astonishing fidelity; every emphasis and inflection being correctly reproduced. The only difference between Mr. Chapman's voice and the phonograph's imitation of it, seemed to be in the quality and volume of the tone; in otber respects the reproduction seemed to be exact. And so the exhibition went on until about a quarter to ten; Mr. Chapman producing more startling effects at nearly every successive experiment. Miss Florence Ellis' "Tom Cat's lament," did not come out very well. A cornet player from the orchestra, played a few bars from "Yankee Doodle" into the instrument, and the music was correctly brought out. He also played a few bars from "Britannia the Pride of the Ocean," but the imitation was not so good. Mr. Chapman explained that it was necessary that the foils should be kept perfectly dry and that he had found it very difficult to keep them so in weather like that of the last few days. "I had been tempted he said "to get water proof cloaks for them, having kept them in the Theatre." It took the audience a few moments to realize the significance of Mr. Chapman's quiet remark, and when they did so, they applauded it lustily.
The performance was evidently enjoyed by all present. Mr. Chaprnan has a peculiarly attractive style as a lecturer - if that term may be employed to designate the capacity in which he appeared last night, and none of the slight derangements which occurred from time to time caused him any embarrassment. He kept the audience continually interested, either by the operations of the instrument, or by his pleasantry.
An invitation to visit Spanish Town, an invitation to give a representation in a private hall here, from clergymen and others who have religious scruples about visiting a theatre, and another invitation to visit Santiago de Cuba have induced Mr. Chapman to postpone his projected departure by the next steamer. He will give another performance in a hall in this city on tomorrow evening,
'A demonstration of recording on a tinfoil phonograph, as invented by Edison in 1877. The phonograph seen here is an exact replica of an all-brass exhibition machine as made by Bergmann in late 1878. This replica was built by the late Bill Ptacek. It's a massive phonograph, weighing 125 pounds.'
This must be pretty much what people in Kingston saw and heard just before Christmas 1878.
['Mary had a little lamb' is said to be the first thing Edison himself recorded on his newly created phonograph.]
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The exhibition of the incredible new technology had proceeded successfully, in spite of the inadequacies of the roof of the Theatre Royal. The reluctance of some church-goers to visit the theatre, even for such a respectable purpose, was overcome by the programme at the Mico.
It is perhaps, however, not surprising that some people did not believe their ears when they seemed to hear human voices proceeding from a machine. For us, who have had over a hundred years of human voices on telephones, records, radios, tapes and discs, and films and televison, there is nothing unlikely about a human voice coming out of a machine, but for our ancestors of the 1870s this was something entirely new and probably impossible to believe. Recorded music was perhaps less unbelievable, since musical boxes had been around since the 18th century, and in the late 1870s a hand-operated music machine, the organette/orguinette/roller organ, was being introduced, which used paper sheets or rolls, cardboard disks, or pinned wooden cylinders to reproduce recorded music; this was a forerunner of the gramophone. But the human voice was different, and was being reproduced for the first time in recorded history, about the same time that the telephone was transmitting the human voice across space. Although both these technologies took some time to develop, by the 1890s they were becoming a virtual commonplace in many places, including Jamaica.
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Daily Gleaner, December 12, 1878
PHONOGRAPH.
We give publicity to the following certificate addressed to Mr. Chapman in consequence of very many persons yesterday, asserting that Mr Chapman was a clever ventriloquist, and that the words were not reproduced by the machine. Mr. Chapman allowed the gentlemen to examine the machine thoroughly and reproduced their voices. An exhibition ot this marvellous invention will take place at the Mico Institution tonight, Mr. Martin having very kindly loaned the room for the occasion. The exhibition is under the distinguished patronage of Lady Musgrave who will honor Mr. Chapman by her presence. This will enable the clergy and parties having scruples about visiting the theatre, an opportunity to hear the wonder of the 19th century. Its success at the theatre on Tuesday evening, will be sufficient inducement to crowd the Mico. The Box Sheet will be opened at 10 o'clock this morning, for reserved seats at this office:
W. E. Chapman, Esq.
Sir, - We, the undersigned, beg to assure you that after the exhibition of the phonograph yesterday, we hereby certify that the voices we were permitted to throw into machine were accurately reproduced, and that we consider it a marvellous invention.
J. P. DaCOSTA
G. C. H. LEWIS
J. J. G. LEWIS
DAN. E. DaCOSTA
Daily Gleaner, December 16, 1878
A committee of scientific gentlemen, the Hon. Col. Hackett, commanding the forces in this island and Dr Allan of the Lunatic Asylum, among the number, are so pleased with the extraordinary character of Professor Edison's Phonograph and what it has been doing in Jamaica, that they have urged its more public exhibition, that every family in Kingston may aee it. Arrangements has been accordingly made for Professor Chapman's doing this at Wallack's Gallery of Illustration, which will be available for the purpose during race week. Thousands will now have an opportunity of witnessing the most wonderful discovery of the age.
Daily Gleaner, December 18, 1878
Daily Gleaner, December 24, 1878
Mr. Will E. Chapman will leave in the French Steamer for St. Jago de Cuba, where he has been invited to give an exhibition of the Phonograph. We trust that he may meet with better success in the other West Indian Islands than he met with here, where the patronage bestowed upon his exhibitions was wholly disproportionate to their merits. His Exhibition at the Theatre Royal gave great satisfaction to everyone who saw it, and although His Excellency honored the entertainment with his presence, financially it was far from being a success.
Daily Gleaner, April 7, 1879
Professor Chapman has been exhibiting the Phonograph in Barbados. The performance of the instrument is described by the West Indian as extraordinary.
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The Gleaner writer clearly felt that Kingstonians had not fully appreciated the remakable equipment they had been privileged to have exhibited in their midst, and I have found no references to how well Chapman did in other Caribbean islands and territories. It is perhaps understandable that there was little comprehension of where this new technology could lead; Edison himself seems to have seen it as primarily a business dictation machine. However, as his work, and that of many others, showed by the century's end, this primitive piece of equipment was the starting point and inspiration for all the technologies involving the reproduction of the human voice that have evolved since.
Kingstonians, in 1878, were therefore, largely unwittingly, involved in one of the turning points of recent times.
