The 1888 Crystal Palace recordings

Recording at the Festival on 29th June 1888

Making the 1888 recordings

The Illustrated London News depicted the event accurately:

The phonograph in the Press Gallery on 29th June 1888

(To see a more detailed version, click here)

The Handel Organ is directly in front of the Gallery. On the table are the phonograph and a wooden box containing blank cylinders. Next to three cylinders (which have either been used, or are about to be) is a mouthpiece for speaking directly into the phonograph.

On the floor beneath the table are two Grenet cell batteries which provided the electric power for the motor. (Click here to see a modern photograph of a Grenet cell).

Connected to the phonograph by a tube is the large horn used to capture the sound. You can see the same horn in use in this photograph taken later at Little Menlo:

Recording at Little Menlo in 1888

This photograph, taken from the Press Gallery during the 1894 Festival, shows a similar view. It also highlights the artistic license used in the ILN engraving to increase the distance from the Handel Organ (click it for a larger version):

This photograph, probably taken at the 1903 Festival, conducted by Sir Frederic Cowen, gives a good impression of the sheer numbers of people in the Handel Orchestra itself (click it for a larger version):