Basic question about phonographs and gramophones

[siopold]

Hi, everyone.

 

I'm just learning about the history of these machines for the first time. I'm fascinated! I have a beginner's question about terminology that I hope you can help me with.

 

I'm looking at Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, which was first performed in 1914. At the beginning of the play, Henry Higgins talks about recording voices with a "cylinder" on a "phonograph." That sounds right to me--a machine used for home recording would be a phonograph, using a recorder attachment and then a reproducer attachment for playback.

 

I'm confused, however, by the language at the end of the play. The characters have supposedly been recording the speech of Eliza Doolittle in Higgins's home studio (the same place that initially had the phonograph and cylinders). But the language changes: one of them says they have been using "dozens of gramophone disks" and then Eliza says they can reproduce her voice "on your gramophone."

 

My understanding is that gramophones were playback-only machines, whereas phonographs could record and play, so the characters would be incorrect to call the home recording machine a "gramophone." I've read, however, that "gramophone" and "phonograph" were sometimes used loosely to refer to either kind of machine, so the character might be calling a phonograph a gramophone without breaking the language too badly.

 

The "disks" part strikes me as harder to explain. People would not have been making home recordings with gramophone disks in 1914, would they? Or have I missed something?

 

I'd be very grateful for your thoughts. And if there is a better forum for sharing these questions, please let me know.

 

Thanks,

 

Erik

[Sheraz]

Hi ! I will try to explain. Please note that usage of terminology in the history of audio recording and playing had not been uniform across the English-speaking world.  The term gramophone appeared as a trade name in 1887 and became a generic term by 1914 in UK. The disc has always been any rotating cylinder used for voice recording. 
By 1880s we were familiar with the use of wax-coated cardboard cylinders and a cutting stylus that moved from side to side in a zigzag groove around the record. Actually Edison sold his machine for recording dictations in offices which can be played as aid in tying. 
 

since I have read the play I have no idea why Shaw was using terms with parallel meanings in his play. Who knows he might have been trying to impress his audience😊😊. 
 

I think I have partly answered your question.
 

regards

sheraz, Islamabad Pakistan 

[siopold]

Thanks very much for your reply! It's very helpful.

 

I understand (with your help) that the characters might have been using the terms loosely, so there might not be anything strictly wrong with what they say.

 

Still, I'm interested in the technology at the time for home phonograph/gramophone users. Am I right to think that someone in 1914 would not likely have been able to record flat discs at home? I think of the wax cylinders as home recording devices, but not the discs. Different things I've read have seemed to come down on both sides of this question.

 

Thanks again,

 

Erik

[Sheraz]

Hi ! I am glad that my input has been of some use to you. Yes you are right the shellac record cutting machine was never marketed as a domestic use machine. It is still very expensive to buy the vinyl record cutting apparatus. 
 

regards

sheraz

[siopold]

Excellent--thanks again!

 

Erik