[LB035149], Letter from Alfred Ord Tate to George Edgar Montgomery, December 16th, 1889
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Title
[LB035149], Letter from Alfred Ord Tate to George Edgar Montgomery, December 16th, 1889
Editor's Notes
With reference to your letter under date 11th instant, addressed to Mr. Edison, in which you quote a statement concerning the phonograph made by an editorial friend of yours, to the effect that the instrument can only give a grotesque imitation of the sounds which have been recorded upon it, I beg to inform you that the author of this statement is laboring under a misapprehension regarding the capabilities of the machine in question.##The phonograph reproduces with absolute fidelity every sound recorded on it. If your friend understood the principle upon which the phonograph is based and was thoroughly familiar with the operation of the machine, he would not have made the statement which you attribute to him. The reproduction of human speech made by the phonograph are perfect, every inflection of the voice and peculiarity of [unclear] being preserved, and you are entirely justified in [unclear] that there is a perfect phonograph. The idea embodied in your poem is correct, scientifically, and the sentiment of it impresses the writer as being very poetic##If you will come out to the Laboratory some day, I shall be very pleased to demonstrate to you, by practical tests, the truth of the foregoing statements. Yours truly, A.O. Tate
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1889-12-16
Type
Subject
Folder/Volume ID
LB035-F
Microfilm ID
140:55
Document ID
LB035149
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University