The Oldest Voices We Can Still Hear

Kings and Things
29 Nov 202315:33
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script takes us on a captivating journey through the earliest known recordings of human voices, dating back to the 1800s. It explores the pioneering work of Leon Scott, who created the world's first audio recordings in 1860, capturing songs and speech decades before Thomas Edison's phonograph. The script then delves into the remarkable survival of other early recordings, including a recitation by 90-year-old Prussian military leader Helmut von Moltke in 1889, the oldest-born person whose voice can still be heard today. This engaging narrative provides a fascinating glimpse into the origins of sound recording technology and the enduring legacy of these historic voices.

Takeaways
  • 👨‍💻 In 1877, Thomas Edison introduced the phonograph, the first device to record and replay sound, revolutionizing public and scientific perception of audio technology.
  • 🤖 The initial skepticism towards Edison's invention turned into astonishment and acclaim once demonstrated, highlighting the groundbreaking nature of sound recording.
  • 📃 Before Edison, Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville invented the phonautograph in the 1850s, which could inscribe sound waves onto paper but was not designed for playback.
  • 🎶 The first recorded human voice is a phonautogram by Scott from 1860, featuring part of the French folk song 'Au Clair de la Lune', predating Edison's phonograph recordings.
  • 📝 Scott's intention was for his phonograms to be a tool for visual analysis of sound, aiming to create a 'natural shorthand' for speech that could be read, not heard.
  • 🔍 Digital technology in 2008 enabled the conversion of Scott's phonograms into audible sound, uncovering the oldest recordings of the human voice over 150 years after they were made.
  • 🛠 Edison's early phonograph used tin foil for recording, which was fragile and could only withstand a few playbacks, leading to the rarity of surviving recordings from this period.
  • 🎧 Optical scanning technology has allowed for the preservation and playback of early phonograph recordings without damaging the original tin foil.
  • 👨‍💻 Leon Scott faced obscurity and financial hardship despite his pioneering work, dying a year before Edison's phonograph gained fame, highlighting the challenges inventors can face.
  • 🎬 The evolution from Edison's phonograph to more durable recording mediums and the ability to playback voices from as far back as the 18th century showcases the profound impact of sound recording technology on history and culture.
Q & A

  • Who invented the phonograph and when was it first introduced to the public?

    -Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, and it was first introduced to the public in December 1877.

  • What was the first phrase recorded and played back by the phonograph?

    -The first phrase recorded and played back by the phonograph was 'Mary Had a Little Lamb', spoken by Edison himself.

  • Who made the first recording of sound before Edison, and what device did they use?

    -Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville made the first recording of sound before Edison, using a device called the phonautograph in the 1850s.

  • What was the purpose of the phonautograph?

    -The phonautograph was intended to inscribe airborne sounds onto paper to automate the process of writing down speech, essentially creating visual representations of sound waves for analysis.

  • In what year was humanity's first playable recording of its own voice made, and what does it feature?

    -Humanity's first playable recording of its own voice was made in 1860, featuring a part of the French folk song 'Au Clair de la Lune'.

  • Why were the early recordings made by Scott's phonautograph not intended for playback?

    -Scott's phonautograph recordings were not intended for playback because they were meant to be read as visual representations of sound for analysis, rather than heard.

  • What significant problem did Edison face with the early phonograph recordings on tin foil?

    -The significant problem with early phonograph recordings on tin foil was that the material was prone to tearing and would wear out after just a few playbacks.

  • Who was Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke, and why is his recording significant?

    -Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke was a leading Prussian military figure, and his recording is significant because he is the earliest born person (in 1800) whose voice has been preserved.

  • What mistake did von Moltke make in his recording for Edison, and how was it corrected?

    -Von Moltke initially conflated the phonograph with the telephone in his recording for Edison, a mistake he corrected by repeating his statement.

  • What does the oldest playable recording of a recognizable female voice likely contain, and whose voice was initially suspected to be on it?

    -The oldest playable recording of a recognizable female voice likely contains a quotation from the works of Harriet Martineau, although the voice cannot belong to her as she died before the phonograph was invented.

Outlines
00:00
🔊 Echoes of the Past: The Birth of Sound Recording

This paragraph provides an overview of the invention of the phonograph by Thomas Edison in 1877 and its impact on society. It discusses the initial skepticism surrounding the talking machine, the subsequent public demonstrations that drew large crowds, and the almost mystical nature of a device capable of recording and replaying sound. It also highlights the phonograph's significance in allowing us to listen to voices from the past, setting the stage for exploring the oldest preserved recordings.

05:03
🧭 The Phonautograph: The Forgotten Pioneer

This paragraph introduces Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, a Frenchman who developed the phonautograph, a device that could inscribe sound onto paper, predating Edison's phonograph. It explains that while Scott's machine could record sound, it was not designed for playback, and the recordings were meant to be read as a form of stenography. The paragraph also discusses the rediscovery of Scott's recordings in 2007 and the successful playback of a 1860 recording, which is considered the oldest playable recording of the human voice.

10:04
🗣️ Voices from the Past: Resurrected Recordings

This paragraph highlights various historical recordings that have been successfully digitized and preserved. It discusses the earliest known recording of intelligible human speech from 1860, featuring a performance of a 16th-century play. It also introduces the oldest known recording of a female voice from 1877, potentially quoting the works of Harriet Martineau, and the remarkable recording of Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke, born in 1800, making him the earliest-born person whose voice has survived.

15:07
🎶 The Lasting Legacy of Sound

This brief paragraph serves as a concluding statement, emphasizing the enduring nature of recorded voices and their ability to transcend time, allowing us to connect with individuals from centuries ago through the preservation of their spoken words.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Phonograph
The phonograph, invented by Thomas Edison in 1877, was the first device capable of recording and replaying sound. It revolutionized the way sound could be captured and preserved. In the script, the invention of the phonograph by Edison is described as a 'sensation' that drew crowds and disbelief from those who heard it, including the President of the United States, due to the almost 'occult nature' of a talking machine.
💡Phonautograph
The phonautograph, developed by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville in the 1850s, was an early device that could visually record sound waves onto paper or glass through mechanical means. Although it could not play back the recordings, known as 'phonograms,' it predated Edison's phonograph in capturing sound. The script mentions how Scott's forgotten phonograms were later digitized in 2008, allowing playback of the earliest recorded human voice from 1860.
💡Acoustics
Acoustics refers to the branch of physics concerned with the study of sound, including its production, transmission, and effects. The script mentions how Scott's phonautograph, though intended for stenography, found use as a laboratory instrument for the study of acoustics due to its ability to visually record sound waves. Understanding acoustics was crucial in developing early sound recording technologies.
💡Digitization
Digitization refers to the process of converting analog information, such as sound recordings or images, into a digital format that can be processed and stored by computers. The script highlights how digitization techniques were used in the 21st century to convert Scott's phonograms and Edison's early tinfoil recordings into audio files, allowing these historical recordings to be played back and preserved.
💡Preservation
Preservation refers to the act of protecting and maintaining something of historical or cultural value for the future. The script emphasizes the importance of preserving and accessing the earliest recorded voices, which provide a direct connection to people and events from centuries ago. Techniques like digitization have enabled the preservation of these fragile, early sound recordings.
💡Stenography
Stenography is a method of shorthand writing or transcribing speech, using abbreviations and symbols. The script mentions that Scott's phonautograph was initially developed as an automated stenography tool, intended to visually capture speech for later deciphering and transcription, though it ultimately failed in that purpose.
💡Phonogram
A phonogram refers to the visual recordings of sound waves made by Scott's phonautograph. These early 'phonograms' were essentially waveform patterns inscribed onto paper or glass, capturing the sound vibrations but not designed for playback. The script describes how researchers were able to digitize and convert a phonogram from 1860 into an audio file, revealing the earliest known recorded human voice.
💡Tinfoil
Tinfoil was the fragile material used by Edison's early phonographs to record sound through indentations made by a stylus. The script mentions the limitations of tinfoil recordings, as they could only be played back a few times before wearing out, and the difficulty in digitizing and preserving the few remaining examples without damaging them further.
💡Wax cylinder
Wax cylinders were an improved recording medium introduced by Edison in the late 1880s, replacing the earlier tinfoil method. The script describes how one of Edison's employees, Theo Wanger, traveled across Europe in 1889 with an updated phonograph that recorded onto wax cylinders, capturing the voices of famous historical figures like Helmuth von Moltke.
💡Historical significance
The script emphasizes the historical significance of preserving and accessing the earliest recorded voices, as they provide a direct connection to people and events from centuries ago, allowing us to transcend the limitations of written records or silent photographs. Recordings like those of Scott and Edison offer invaluable insights into the past and the development of sound technology.
Highlights

In 1877, Thomas Edison introduced the phonograph, the first device to record and replay sound, stunning professionals and the public.

Edison's demonstration of the phonograph at the Scientific American office marked a groundbreaking moment in audio recording history.

The phonograph quickly became a sensation, drawing crowds and disbelief with its ability to reproduce sound.

The 1800s were not known for sound recordings, making Edison's invention particularly remarkable for the era.

Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville's phonautograph, developed in the 1850s, was the first to record sound, predating Edison's phonograph.

In 2007, the earliest known recording of a human voice, made in 1860 by Scott, was digitized, featuring a French folk song.

Scott's phonautograms were intended for visual analysis, not playback, aiming to automate speech transcription.

The rediscovery and digitization of Scott's recordings in the 21st century unveiled the first sounds of the human voice ever recorded.

Despite Edison's fame for inventing the phonograph, Édouard-Léon Scott's earlier contributions to sound recording were largely forgotten.

Scott's phonautograph found use in scientific studies of acoustics, despite its initial goal of capturing speech for transcription.

Leon Scott faced financial hardship and obscurity, contrasting sharply with Edison's success and recognition.

The fragile nature of tin foil recordings posed challenges for preserving early audio history.

Optical scanning techniques have allowed for the playback of previously inaccessible early recordings.

A recording from 1878, believed to be made by Thomas Mason, is one of the earliest known demonstrations of the phonograph.

Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke, born in 1800, is the earliest born person whose voice has been preserved, showcasing a unique historical record.

Transcripts

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