[D8847ABC], Letter from William Henry Meadowcroft to Thomas Alva Edison, June 27th, 1888

https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/D8847ABC

View document with UniversalViewer   → View document on Archive.org  → Re-use this digital object via a IIIF manifest

Title

[D8847ABC], Letter from William Henry Meadowcroft to Thomas Alva Edison, June 27th, 1888

Editor's Notes

"If you will permit me to make a suggestion in regard to the Phonograph, it may be of some use to you, if it has not already been suggested or thought of. ### Are you aware a professional singer has to undergo a very thorough course of study as to details of articulation, modulation of voice, effect, and many other minor points which depend altogether upon the use of his or her voice, and for which singers depend entierly upon the criticism of others. It seems to be that your Phonograph ought to be absolutely invaluable to professional singers, for the reason that they can study the effect of their own singing by hearing it repeated to themselves, a thing which they cannot possibly arrive at in any othe rway. Of course I do not mean to assert that a singer cannot hear his or her own voice, but it is a fact that they do not understand and study their own defects as thoroughly as they could by the use of the Phonograph. I am an amateur and did not understand until a few nights ago, when I sang into the phonograph at the Laboratory, what a valuable thing this was for singers. It made me tired to hear the repetition of myself, and gave me hints to cure many defects. ### I should think that a great many of the instruments could be sold to conservatories of music and teachers of singing, and I should think that this matter could be artistically worked up in the circulars of the Company. ### If this is stale news, please excuse my troubling you with this letter but it is written with good intentions." Yours truly, Wm. H. Meadowcroft

Date

1888-06-27

Type

Folder/Volume ID

D8847-F

Microfilm ID

124:161

Document ID

D8847ABC

Publisher

Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
Download CSV | JSON