[D8946ABT], Letter from Adelbert Theodor Edward Wangemann to Thomas Alva Edison, July 14th, 1889
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Title
[D8946ABT], Letter from Adelbert Theodor Edward Wangemann to Thomas Alva Edison, July 14th, 1889
Editor's Notes
[POSSIBLY SELECTABLE no signature--possibly incomplete; ascribed to Wangemann but have not compared handwriting. From Paris on letterhead of Thos. Edison, Paris Exposition] "Dear Sir, On my arrival here I found as expected the phonograph runing [illeg], some records fair & all the talking with either to deep or to light a cut. I have worked dialy from 9 o'clock to 11 o'cl PM in the Exhibition helping [illeg] Mr Hammer & intstructing the boys on all points & making records & showing the Phonograph to important & prominent people visiting the Gallerie des Machines. Mr. Hammer having been ill with fever, I had to take right hold in the Exposition. The Phonograph is now run what I consider to your satisfaction. A few days after my arrival the jury of the Phonograph class came & I arrived just in time to show off the pho. Well to them. We expect the jury again next week, when they will come in parties from 2 & 3 at a time, as the president of the jury told me to gert points for the proper report. Mr. [Ablank?] (the American juror) told me privately you would have the gold medal on the phono without doubt--on the other Exhibit Mr Hammer spoke to the jury. The graphophone have here 8 instruments of which 4 are in running order. I refrain from commenting on the graphophone here to the jury (although some wanted me too). I gave only a few facts, as for instance: speed of foot treadle phon & graphophon could not be as perfect as the ingenious motor & governof of Phono would give. That thePhon recorded perfect out of the various reasons. But the best was the fact stated (as know to most every juror) that the graphophone was recorded in the presence of 2 or 3 people who listened to it ONE at a time which record would not be shown thereafter, while your Phon was heard by 7 people at a time & reproduced to hundreds & thousands of people (so they could see outside)--for a test I run one piano cylinder from Monday morning till Friday afternoon daily when it commenced to show signs of wear. Then I reproduced for a well known painter here a cylinder from Cincinati Ohio absolutely perfect, all the emotion of the old father's voice in speaking & singing were there! The same persons graphophone cylinder could not be reproduced AT ALL! (I naturely gave with the painters allowance his address to the jury. Outside of that I called there attention to the comparisson of the whisper, the ordinary voice & the loud voice in the Phon & the graphophone.--but Music took them. ## The president before going remarked (in French, that the Phonograph had been represented to him as similar to the graphophone, but he was astrounded to find an instrument so close on perfection & [illeg] the [most?] Kennest demands of the [ileg] scientific for recording any noise whatsoever. ## I have been taking some french brass bands around the Exhibition grounds which draws crowds every time. I also [took?] the American concert in the Tocadero. ## I have one large room at Pleyel Wolff & Co the largest piano factory here & another at "Erasto" free of charge in which I shall take records for the Exhibition & for the Laboratory for duplicating in probably one week. At present I think it better for your interest to stay right in the Exhibition until the graphophone is knocked out. ## On the presidents visit to the American section industrielle I had from the top of pavillon shouting phonographs, one vive le president Carnot; vive la Repubilque; vive la France; The other cornet with the Marseillaise. It was heard 3 to 400 feet away while the president inspected the American section & no [illeg] of the American [illeg] or the graphophone people could stop that Phon. Especially while he was listening to the graphophone. ## Machinery Hall is too noisy to take good records & not as good as it ought to be for exhibiting. We have string after string of people (about 1500 a day in one place) in a few words: the general opinion expressed freely is: However great the Exhibition is, the only two [most marvellous?] things here are the Tour Eiffel and the Phonograph. The newspapers state as per inclosed the Ch. S. Tainter graphophone is nothing ncompaired with the E. perfect Phonograph. ## Shipments per Baldwin Express arrive here in 3-4 weeks. The Wells Fargo Co. guarranties them in 12 to 14 days."
Recipient
Date
1889-07-14
Type
Folder/Volume ID
D8946-F
Microfilm ID
126:910
Document ID
D8946ABT
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University