Emile Berliner and the Gramophone

The follwing images from the Library of Congress can be found online in the American Memory exhibit Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry. To view these items in the exhibit, enter the digital ID in the core search field box for the item ID field.

Gramophone: specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,786, dated1887 November 8 (DIGITAL ID: berl 11010111)
Gramophone: specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,786, dated1887 November 8 (DIGITAL ID: berl 11010111)
Diagram and specifications detailing Eldridge Johnson's improvements to the Talking - Machine: specification of Letter Patent No. 814,786, patented1906 March 13, Eldridge Johnson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, assignor to Victor Talking Machine Company, (DIGITAL ID: berl 11010404)
Diagram and specifications detailing Eldridge Johnson's improvements to the Talking - Machine: specification of Letter Patent No. 814,786, patented1906 March 13, Eldridge Johnson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, assignor to Victor Talking Machine Company, (DIGITAL ID: berl 11010404)

One of the first gramophones set next to large mechanical wheel, 1888. "If not the first certainly one of the first reproducing machines used by Mr. Berliner and his mechanic Werner Suess." (DIGITAL ID: berlp 12040107) - duplicate
Two photographs of early Berliner engraver and gramophone. "Please retur[n] this, EB, First Gramophone reproducing machine, used at the Franklin Institute, Phia, May 16. 1888." (DIGITAL ID: berlp 12040108)
Two photographs of early Berliner engraver and gramophone. "Please retur[n] this, EB, First Gramophone reproducing machine, used at the Franklin Institute, Phia, May 16. 1888." (DIGITAL ID: berlp 12040108)
Two photographs of early Berliner engraver and gramophone. "Please retur[n] this, EB, First Gramophone reproducing machine, used at the Franklin Institute, Phia, May 16. 1888." (DIGITAL ID: berlp 12040108)

Motorized gramophone of Emile Berliner, ca. 1895, photograph mounted on card. (DIGITAL ID: berlp 12040201)
Early gramophone of Emile Berliner, hand cranked, 1894, photograph mounted on card. Printed on front of card: "Paul Tralles, 808 7th St. N. W. Washington, D.C." (DIGITAL ID: berlp 12040507)
Scrapbook [excerpts] - relating to the United States Gramophone Co., including invitations to the stockholders' meetings, stationery letterhead, and drawings of the gramophone (DIGITAL ID berl 14050101) Image 4 of 7. This is a copy of the drawing from patent 534,543 of Feb. 19, 1895 ( DIGITAL ID: berl 11010201 ) Image 18 of 38 of Gramophone patents bound informally together. Includes Berliner patents: 372,786; 382,790; 534,545; 548, 623; 564,586; Suess patent: 427,279; Clark patent: 597,875.

Recording Technology History| Early Gramophone | Berliner scrapbook | this page revised 7/10/02 by Schoenherr