We dive into the fascinating story of Thomas Edison and his groundbreaking work with sound. You might not know this, but Edison struggled with hearing and hadn’t heard a bird sing since he was a kid. Yet, in 1877, he set out to create a machine that could capture and play back voices. He and his team crafted a simple device with a cylinder, tinfoil, and a needle that actually worked! He famously recorded the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” which he called his “baby.” Join us as we explore how this invention made Edison feel famous around the world.

Takeaways:

• Thomas Edison struggled with hearing, claiming he hadn't heard a bird sing since he was twelve years old.
• In 1877, Edison innovated a machine that could capture and playback sound for the first time.
• The phonograph was built using a cylinder, tinfoil, and a needle, showcasing Edison's creativity.
• Edison referred to the phonograph as his baby, highlighting how it made him feel renowned globally.
• He famously recorded 'Mary had a little lamb' as his first spoken words on the phonograph.
• Edison’s experiments with sound brought him fame and changed how we interact with audio forever.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• American Rewind
• Thomas Edison
• phonograph