Friday, March 11, 2011

1897 - A Very Fine Talking Machine

One of our reguar visitors at AHS was doing some microfilm research and came across this amusing news item:

Local news in the September 17, 1897 Arcade Herald: "James Teller has purchased a very fine talking machine." This was under the newspaper's Sandusky column. The talking machine was a device that played wax cylinder recordings. I did a google search and found a list of some of the popular songs of 1896-1897 from the Kansas City Talking Machine Company catalog:
Put Me Off At Buffalo
And The Parrot Said--
Pat Malone Forgot He Was Dead
Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight
Take Your Clothes and Go
On The Banks Of The Wabash, Far Away
What Do You Think of Hoolihan?
Take Back Your Gold
Mr. Johnson, Turn Me Loose
Just Tell Them You Saw Me
The Blow Near Killed Father

The only song I recognize - having survived the test of time - is "Hot Time In the Old Town Tonight".

- Sue Andrews
AHS Operations Manager