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Some of the earliest sound recordings ever made are about to be heard for the first time in over 100 years. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has unearthed a batch of wax cylinders – an early recording medium developed by Thomas Edison.
The fragile cylinders are designed to be played on an old phonograph – but researchers have developed a machine that can read them digitally with a laser and needle.
Some of the cylinders include opera performances, field recordings, and even old birthday party greetings. The process of digitizing all of them will likely take years.
What was your first recording device? Did you have a casssette recorder growing up?
