1889 Hot Air Balloon Phonograph recording over Paris

This recording, made by William J. Hammer on November 14, 1889, documents a Thomas Edison Co. experiment to create the 'Military Phonograph'. The idea was for a surveillance system by hot air balloon where the balloonist could record a description of scenes below on a special size cylinder, then seal it in a drop-safe box with it's own parachute to receivers below who would playback the cylinder on a 2nd phonograph on the ground. Hammer was Edison's representative to the Paris World's Fair, and about 1 week after the fair ended, he took a near 100 mile ride over the French countryside in a hot air balloon. This recording was made at lift off at nearly the moment the photo was taken. Hammer says : "An Edison Phonograph ... American Industrial Nation, Paris Exposition 1889. Are you ready? Do not go yet. Bonjour messieurs et mesdames ... into the ... phonograph ... Everybody on the ropes. Lift Off! ... ". This recording is the only known cylinder found of 12 that Hammer dropped by parachute on that balloon ride.

[@user-ob9zo9cr4c]

they did techno track in 1889 xd

[@SixSonn]

Noice

[@PopeyeOldGamer46]

I have a question? the audio Ashen Pipe from your video of leon scott discography, can we know what leon scott is saying in the audio Ashen Pipe

[@JimPigMuseumOfSound]

We can assume the recording, made in the fall of 1857, is the voice of Scott … but the words or subject are unknown. The piece is known as “Ashen Pipe” because it was not recorded with a membrane as usual, but by a stylus attached directly to a pipe made of ash wood.

[@PopeyeOldGamer46]

Ok, thanks! 😊

[@PopeyeOldGamer46]

I have another question, in the auto draw of leon scott with the cornet can we see a phonautograph with an different appearance, that means that there were phonautograph with other appearance? (Sorry for my dumb english😅)

[@JimPigMuseumOfSound]

@@PopeyeOldGamer46 The drawing is by Scott himself done for the purpose of his patent. It merely demonstrates the concept of recording sound, and apparently wasn’t meant to be an exact diagram of the phonautograph and it’s components

[@user-ob9zo9cr4c]