ContentsContainer List Series 1. Addresses, circa 1888-1929 Series 2. Journal Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1883, 1900, 1922, 1927-1929, 1955 Series 6. Correspondence, 1871-1926, 1946-1955 Series 7. Journals and Diaries, 1889-1907 Series 8. Miscellaneous Materials, 1897-1929 Series 9. Notes and Papers, 1977-1928 Series 10. Pamphlets, 1890-1929, 1951, undated Series 12. Photographs, 1871-1965, undated Series 13. Recordings, circa 1890-1950s Series 14. Scrapbooks, 1885-1930 Series 15. Joseph Sanders materials, 1896-1927, 1953-1955 Series 16. Acoustic Tile, 1899, 1925-1929 |
Emile Berliner CollectionAuthors: Karen Lund, Karen Fishman2011
Biographical NoteEmile Berliner (1851-1929) was a prominent inventor living at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries. Overlooked by today's historians, Berliner's creative genius rivaled that of his better-known contemporaries Thomas Alva Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, and, like the works of these two inventors, Berliner's innovations helped shape the modern American way of life. Although Berliner did not invent recorded sound technology, his innovations led to its mass distribution. His flat-disc recordings eventually replaced the more fragile and unwieldy Edison cylinders as consumers' sound technology of choice. Emile (originally Emil) Berliner was born in Hanover, Germany, on May 20, 1851. He was one of thirteen children born to Samuel and Sarah Fridman Berliner, two of whom died in infancy. His father was a merchant and a Talmudic scholar, and his mother was an amateur musician. Following a few years of school in Hanover, Berliner was sent to nearby Wolfenbüttel to attend the Samsonschule from which he graduated in 1865 at the age of fourteen. This marked the end of his formal schooling and Berliner then spent several years at odd jobs in Hanover helping to support the large Berliner family. Enticed by the offer of a clerkship in a store partly owned by a man named Behrend, a Hanoverian who had emigrated to the United States some time earlier, and perhaps by a desire to escape the military duty that faced most young men in the year of the Franco-Prussian War, Berliner persuaded his parents to allow him to accept the job offer and to emigrate to America. In late March 1870 he left Hanover. The dry-goods store was located in Washington, D.C. For three years Berliner clerked for Gotthelf, Behrend and Co. until in 1873 he decided a better opportunity awaited him in New York City. There Berliner again took up onerous jobs during the day while trying to improve himself by studying privately at night at the Cooper Institute. After a brief career as a "drummer" (traveling salesman) for a "gents' furnishings" (men's clothing and accessories) establishment in Milwaukee, Berliner again went back to New York where this time he was most fortunate in obtaining a position as general cleanup man in the laboratory of Constantine Fahlberg, the discoverer of saccharine. This experience in a research laboratory fired Berliner's ambition, and he decided that science, research, and invention were to be his destiny. In 1876 Berliner returned to what was now Behrend and Co. in Washington and resumed his clerkship. That was the year of the American centennial celebrations, and among the outstanding events that took place in Washington was a demonstration of the new telephone of Alexander Graham Bell. Berliner saw the instrument for the first time and was filled with enthusiasm. He commenced to study the telephone. To his inquiring mind one of the instrument's weaknesses was its transmitter. Working alone in his rooming house he fashioned a new type of transmitter which he called a "loose-contact" transmitter, a type of microphone, which increased the volume of the transmitted voice. When the members of the newly-formed American Bell Telephone Company were advised that a young and entirely unknown man in Washington had submitted a caveat (Berliner wrote it himself without the aid of a patent attorney) to the Patent Office covering a new transmitter, they could hardly believe it. Thomas Watson, the Mr. Watson of telephone fame, was sent to Washington to make inquiries. He returned such a glowing report of the transmitter and of Berliner himself that the company offered to buy the rights to the invention and to hire Berliner as a research assistant. For the next seven years, Berliner was employed by the ABT Co., first in New York City and then in Boston. During those years Berliner worked on numerous problems associated with the fledgling telephone industry and developed into a first-class theoretical electrician. While working in Boston in 1881, Berliner became an American citizen and in the same year married a young woman of German descent named Cora Adler. In 1884 Berliner decided to set himself up as a private researcher and inventor, his cherished dream. He resigned from the American Bell Telephone Company and he and Cora left Boston and set up housekeeping in Washington, D.C. The Berliners had six children, Edgar, Herbert, Henry, Louise, Hannah and Alice. In Washington, Berliner began working on additional improvements to Bell's telephone, selling the rights to his patents to the telephone company. Then in 1886 he began working on the invention that was to prove his most important contribution to the world. This was the development of the gramophone, the recording and reproduction of sound by means of disc records. Among his other inventions were: Floor Covering As early as 1883, while still working for the telephone company, Berliner obtained Patent 284,268 for a new type of floor covering which he termed Parquet Carpet. From time to time he returned to this work and he obtained additional Patents 621,316 in 1899 and 656,162 in 1900. Acoustic TileAs one who frequently attended orchestral concerts, operas, and other musical events, as well as lectures, plays, and sermons, Berliner was well aware of the poor acoustics of many halls, theaters, churches, and synagogues. Having studied acoustics for many years, he decided to do something about the situation. He soon came up with a new type of tile that could be affixed to the existing walls of rooms. Acoustic tiles were, in the inventor's words, ". . . composed of porous cement, are as hard as stone, and yet have the resonance of wood when vibrated by a tuning fork." In 1926 he obtained Patent 1,573,475 for these tiles. They were eminently successful in the days before public address systems. Among the buildings that added these tiles were the auditorium of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Stanley Theater in Jersey City, the Church of the Messiah in Montreal, Leicester Theatre in London, Uptown Theater in Philadelphia, the Second Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, and the board room of the Karachi Port Trust in what is now Pakistan. The Helicopter and the Lightweight Internal Combustion EngineIn 1906 or 1907 Emile Berliner became fascinated with the possibilities of the flying machine. This led to his involvement in the development of the helicopter which, as he himself said, was one of the earliest forms of heavier-than-air machines conceived, going back at least as far as the time of Leonardo da Vinci. Berliner designed and patented a new type of lightweight internal combustion engine to power the rotors. By 1909 he had constructed a working model that was capable of lifting the weight of two adult men, however the helicopter was tethered to the ground and no free flight was attempted. Although Berliner had to relinquish his work on the helicopter, his son Henry continued it. Emile Berliner for many years took an active role in community and social causes, particularly in the public health field. In 1909 he donated funds for an infirmary building at the Starmont Tuberculosis Sanitarium in Washington Grove, Maryland, dedicated to the memory of his father. Berliner was president of the Washington Tuberculosis Association for some years. In 1924, he inaugurated the Bureau of Health Education to promote public hygiene and health education for mothers and children. The subject of children's health was close to his heart. In 1900 his youngest daughter, Alice, became desperately ill, very likely from bacteria picked up from some food or drink. Because of this illness Berliner campaigned against the high mortality rate of babies and young children. He became a fervent advocate of clean milk and by all means at his disposal he preached to mothers to "scald the milk" before serving it. He also became disgusted by what he perceived to be the neglect of cleanliness in children. In 1919 he and some of his associates wrote and published a book of colored drawings with accompanying rhymes illustrating what happens to children who neglect cleanliness. Entitled Muddy Jim, the book was given to schools in the Washington area and elsewhere. All the rhymes were written by Emile Berliner. The book was soon translated into French, possibly for distribution in the Canadian province of Quebec. Zionism was another cause that involved Emile Berliner deeply. Between 1913 and 1918, Berliner wrote four articles on the subject: "The Social Status of the Jews," "Zionism and the American Spirit," "Americanism and Zionism," and "Thoughts on Zionism." In 1919 Berliner was named chairman of the Committee on Arrangements for a reception for the celebrated rabbi Stephen S. Wise. During the same year he wrote a letter to the editors of both the Washington Star and the Washington Post concerning the second commemoration of the 1917 declaration by British statesman Arthur Balfour that "His Majesty's Government favors establishment of a national home for the Jews in Palestine." In 1919, Berliner wrote another article on "A Study Towards the Solution of Industrial Problems in the New Zionist Commonwealth." Berliner inherited a great fondness for music from his mother and was an avid concert-goer. That he could play the piano is attested by one of his assistants in the gramophone laboratory who said that Berliner was the pianist on some of the very early recordings. In 1897 he wrote a song entitled "Columbian Anthem" in honor of the nation's capital, the District of Columbia. It was arranged for male quartet and was recorded in 1897 on Berliner record 4288 and seems to have been re-recorded several times before June 1900. In addition to his contributions to the progress of recorded sound, Emile Berliner worked tirelessly in many other endeavors both business-related and philanthropic. His development of microphone and recorded sound technology remains, however, the greater part of his legacy. His work on microphones was so successful that it replaced the earlier microphone used by Alexander Graham Bell for his telephone systems. It is still the basic design used in most microphones manufactured today. His flat-disc design for the gramophone has became the standard for mass-produced commercial sound recordings and was the precursor of today's digital compact discs. Emile Berliner died on August 3, 1929, in his seventy-ninth year. Return to the Table of Contents Scope and Content NoteThe Emile Berliner Collection includes disc recordings, textual materials, photographs, artifacts, and a film. The textual materials consist of more than 1,000 items including correspondence, notes and papers, books, addresses, newspaper and magazine articles, catalogs, diaries and journals, pamphlets, patents, and scrapbooks dealing with Berliner's work and personal life, as well as his philanthropic endeavors. The photographs are both studio portraits and informal snapshots of Berliner, his family, his associates, and his inventions. Artifacts include telephone, gramophone, and laboratory equipment, along with several acoustic panel pieces and material samples. The recorded sound component of the Berliner Collection consists of unpublished zinc records, some of them experimental (1892-1898); unpublished discs made of various materials for both experimental and private uses; and published celluloid, rubber, and shellac Berliner Gramophone Company pressings made in the United States (pre-1900), Canada, and Germany (pre- and post-1900). The published records represent one of the first successful attempts to mass-market and commercially distribute popular sound recordings. Some of the unpublished discs in the collection feature the voices of Berliner and various family members. Also available are post-1900 Victor records; 78 rpm records published by other companies; and several vinyl LP recordings. Return to the Table of Contents Selected Search TermsPeople
Organizations
Subjects
Form/Genre
Occupations
Return to the Table of Contents Collection ArrangementThe collection is arranged in 17 series:
Return to the Table of Contents Container ListSeries 1. Addresses, circa 1888-1929 .5 linear feetSeries 1 contains copies of speeches and addresses by Emile Berliner on a variety of subjects. Examples include a 1888 speech delivered to the Franklin Institute on the gramophone, a 1925 paper prepared for the D.C. chapter of the American Institute of Architects on acoustic tiles, and three addresses on transmitters and the development of the talking machine. It also includes an address by Berliner from 1913 for the National Farm School on the social status of the Jews. 1888-19291888-19291888-19291913circa 19251929Series 2. Journal Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1883, 1900, 1922, 1927-1929, 1955 1 linear footSeries 2 consists of journal articles and newspaper clippings which chronicle Berliners life, interests and inventions, the bulk of which are obituaries from 1929. Some early articles focus on Berliner's inventions of the gramophone, microphone, and acoustic improvements. Later articles highlight his efforts on health care and curing infant mortality. Journals include Young Israel, the American Hebrew, and Journal of Outdoor Life. Newspapers include the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Washington Herald, the Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger, the Evening Post, and the Philadelphia Inquirer, among others. Articles on the gramophone, 1922-1955Articles on the gramophone, 1900, 1952Articles on the telephone, microphone, 1922-1955Articles on the telephone, microphone, 1883Articles and clippings on health, 1922-1955Newspaper clippings on health, 1928-1929Articles on acoustic tile, 1922-1955Newspaper clippings on acoustic tile, 1928Biographical and miscellaneous articles, 1922-1955Newspaper clippings on Berliner's death, 1929Newspaper clippings on Berliner's death, 1929Newspaper clippings on Berliner's death, 1929Newspaper clippings on Berliner's death, 1929Newspaper clippings on Berliner's death and other topics, 1929Miscellaneous articles, 1922-1955Miscellaneous newspaper clippings, undatedSeries 3. Artifacts, undated .5 linear feetThis series holds actual parts from machines. They include talking machine needles and washers. Sprechmaschinen-nandeln [Talking machine needles], undatedWasher samples, undatedSeries 4. Books, 1879-1928 3.5 linear feetThis series consists of 23 books and includes court proceedings, arguments, briefs, and affidavits for Berliner’s court cases (U.S. v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, bound issues of the serial Telegraphic Journal and Electrical Review, v. VIII, and many copies of Muddy Jim and Other Rhymes, a book written by Berliner on children’s health issues. This series also includes the supplement to Muddy Jim written by Dr. George M. Kober, professor of hygiene at Georgetown University, and a copy of A bas les maladies! published by the Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis of Washington, D.C. A Bas les Maladies! 1919Annual Report of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, 1908United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, brief for defendants, 1894History of the Telephone Transmitter, 1894Gedenkblätter 150 Stiftungstag des Wohltätigkeitsverins der Synagogengemeinde Hannover (Pages of testimony in memory of the Foundation Day charities for the synagogue community in Hanover, Germany), 1912Annotation on front cover notes the page number of the account of Berliner’s 42 years of service in Jewish charity work. United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, brief for defendants, 1894Two copies. Jubiläumsschrift der Telephon-Fabrik Actiengesellschaft (25th Jubilee Book of the J. Berliner Telephone Factory), 1881-1906Muddy Jim and Other Rhymes, 1919Muddy Jim: Supplement: 12 Chapters in Hygiene, circa 1919Telegraphic Journal and Electrical Review: v. 7, January–December, 1879Twelve Years of the Telephone Pioneers of America, 1923Various Aspects of Birth Control, 1928Washington Health Rules, 1915United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, argument of J. J. Storrow, Esq. for defendants, 1894United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, argument of J. J. Storrow, Esq. for defendants, 1894United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, summary brief for defendants, 1894United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, argument of Frederick P. Fish, for defendants, 1893United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, v. I, pleadings and evidence, 1894United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, v. II, exhibits, 1894American Bell Telephone Co. et al, v. the United States of America, memorandum of points made and references noted in oral argument by counsel for complainant, 1894American Bell Telephone Co., Emile Berliner v. the United States of America, brief for appellants; Appellants reply to appellee’s memorandum; Summary of proceedings, 1895American Bell Telephone Co., v. the Overland Telephone Company of New Jersey, 1884American Bell Telephone Co., v. the People’s Telephone Company et al, 1884Dept. of Interior, United States v. American Bell Telephone, 1887; United States v. American Bell Telephone, 1885, 1887-1888United States v. American Bell Telephone Co., oral argument for Mr. Storrow for the Bell Company on its demurrer, June, 1887, and oral argument of Mr. Dickerson for the Bell Company, 1888The Telephone Appeals, oral argument of Mr. Dickerson, January 24 to February 8, 1887The Telephone Appeals, oral argument of Mr. Storrow on the Drawbaugh defence, January 24 to February 8, 1887History of the telephone, James Storrow before the Supreme Court, 1886American Bell Telephone Co. v. Sylvanus D. Cushman et al, 1893American Bell Telephone Co. v. National Telephone Manufacturing Co., v. Century Telephone Co. et al,, argument of Frederic H. Betts, 1899American Bell Telephone Co. v. National Telephone Manufacturing Co. v. Century Telephone Co. et al, , brief for complainant, 1899American Bell Telephone Co. v. National Telephone Co. Manufacturing Co. et al, argument at the hearing in support of the defense, by R.S. Taylor, 1899American Bell Telephone Co. v. National Telephone Co. Manufacturing Co. et al, brief for defendants, 1895American Bell Telephone Co. v. National Telephone Co. Manufacturing Co. et al, brief for complainant upon appeal, 1902Gramophone Litigation, [1905?]The Electrician, Weekly Journal, v. 4, November 22, 1879, to May 15, 1880Telegraphic Journal and Electrical Review, v. 8, January–December, 1880Series 5. Catalogs, 1895-1896 6 foldersSeries 5 consists of catalogs from 1895 and 1896. Included is an advance list of new records from May 1895, a supplementary list of records from June 1985, a handwritten list of band music and recitations from July 1895, and a supplemental list of new gramophone records from June 1896. Berliner Gramophone Co. complete catalogue,List of plates, January, 1895E. Berliner’s gramophone, 1895Advance list of new records, 1895Supplementary list of records, 1895Supplement list of new gramophone records, 1896Series 6. Correspondence, 1871-1926, 1946-1955 .5 linear feetThis series includes some personal correspondence from Emile Berliner to Jacob Berliner, but the majority of correspondence pertains to business letters and copies of letters between Berliner and J.W. Hyatt, William P. Richards (D.C. Surveyor’s Office), Alfred C. Clark, James Rush Marshall, and others. This series is arranged in chronological order. 1870-18711881-18871888-18891890-18961905-May, 1922July 1922-1928October 1926-November 6, 1926, undatedNovember 7, 1926-November 24, 1926, undated1946, 1955, undatedLouise Berliner Frank King’s family tree researchSeries 7. Journals and Diaries, 1889-1907 .5 linear feetSeries 7 includes copies of Cora Berliner’s journal of her family’s trip to Germany in 1889 and Joseph Sander’s diaries from 1906 and 1907. Journal of Cora A. Berliner, 1889-1890Includes copies. Joseph Sanders’s diary, 1906Joseph Sanders’s diary, 1907Unidentified diary, undatedSeries 8. Miscellaneous Materials, 1897-1929 .5 linear feetThis series contains a variety of materials, including a 1927 report on the activities of the Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis of the District of Columbia; copies of sheet music for the “Columbian Anthem,” which was written by Berliner; invitations; award certificates; and programs. Report, Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis of the District of Columbia, 1927-1929Sheet music, invitations, award certificates, programs, 1896-1930Promotional materials for the Celotex Company, 1925Series 9. Notes and Papers, 1977-1928 .5 linear feetSeries 9 contains notes made by Emile Berliner on many of the inventions and experiments he was working on during his lifetime. These include the electric telescope, organophone, batteries, broken-point microphone, a siphoning gas jet, and producing a tremolo (tremolo on a violin). The series also contains copies of a tribute to Berliner on his birthday from the board of directors of the Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis, essays, speeches, and legal documents. Researchers will find a handwritten statement by Berliner describing his preferred funeral arrangements. Notes on experiments, including electric telescope, broken-point microphone, gas jet, battery, and violin, 1877-1884Experiment log and notes on experiments, including batteries, candle, light through electrolyte and magnetic field, and final development of the Blake transmitter, 1884-1923Birthday tribute to Emile Berliner on his 75th birthday, publicity for Berliner’s acoustic cement cells, and Berliner’s funeral preferences, 1926-1928Agreement between Joseph and Jacob Berliner, the Bell-Berliner system since 1879, a poem in German, an essay on the magnetic receiver, and a eulogy for Berliner“Wonders,” an essay describing the wonders found in everyday occurrences of scientific principles, 1897Legal documents and notes in German, 1887-1891Series 10. Pamphlets, 1890-1929, 1951, undated .5 linear feetThis series contains copies of pamphlets describing the operating directions for the motor gramophone, the history of the gramophone, promotional pamphlets for the gramophone and acoustical tile, reports on installing acoustic tile at Drexel Institute, the microphone, and promotion of the Berliner biography by Frederic William Wile. GramophoneAcousticsMicrophoneTelephone almanac, 1951Series 11. Patents, 1879-1909 .5 linear feetCopies of patents in this series include improvements in electrical contact telephones, designs for carpeting, improvements to telephone transmitters, gramophone improvements, floor coverings, apparatus for producing sound records, and Joseph Berliner’s improvements in connection with vulcanizers and other apparatus. Researchers will find copies of patents held by other inventors, such as Fay Oscar Farwell, Sumner Tainter, Gavin Chapman, Byron Goldsmith, Charles Francis Jenkins, as well as many others. 1879-19001900-1909Gramophone, 1887-1898Other patent holders, A-FOther patent holders, G-ZSeries 12. Photographs, 1871-1965, undated 2 linear feetThis series includes copies of formal portraits, Berliner working in his laboratory, family scenes with Cora Berliner and other family members, the staff of U.S. Gramophone Co., and others. There are also photographs of gramophones; Berliner’s factory in Hanover, Germany; microphones; acoustic tiles; the Technical Institute (Technische Hochschule in Hanover); the auditorium in the Oyster School, Washington, D.C.; the Berliner House at 1458 Columbia Road; and many others. Included is a photograph album, circa 1918-1923, of 56 photographs. Photographs are black and white; sizes are 10 x 13 inches and smaller. 1872-19261872-19261881-1926undated1875, 1895, undated1875-1907, undated1927, undatedPhotograph album, circa 1918-19231912-1932, undated1912, 1915, 1924, undated1910-1927, undated1900-1950, undated1920, 1932, undated1915–1924, undated1910-1965, undated1910-1932, undated1876, 1894, 1920, undated1888, undated1914, undated1914, undated1877, 1926, undatedundatedundated1890-1900, undated1898, 1924-1929, undated1927, undated1920, 1926, undatedEmile Berliner on porchMilton King on horsebackPortrait of Louise BerlinerPortraits of Robert Berliner FrankPortrait of Cora BerlinerMatrix plant of the Berliner Gramophone Co.Series 13. Recordings, circa 1890-1950s Over 400 sound discs, including zinc, copper, celluloid, rubber, shellac, and vinyl pressings and masters, in various speeds, and in sizes ranging from 5 to 12 inches in diameterThe recorded sound component of the Berliner Collection consists of over four hundred discs. These include records produced by the Berliner Gramophone Company from the mid-1890s to 1900, unpublished and experimental records, some metal discs that may be stampers or mothers, a number of recordings made for private use, a selection of electronically recorded Victor 78 rpm records, and a number of other commercially released 78s and LPs. The published Berliner records represent one of the first successful attempts to mass-market and commercially distribute popular sound recordings. The online Library of Congress presentation of Emile Berliner materials, entitled "Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry," features approximately 100 sound recordings that have been converted to Broadcast WAVE and Real Audio streaming digital files. Most of the digitized discs date from the 1870s to the early 1930s, although there are a few items from as late as 1956. Each of those discs is briefly described in this series and links are provided to the online digital files for listening. More detailed information about the Berliner Collection sound discs, along with other Berliner recordings acquired separately from the collection, can be found in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. E. Berliner's Gramophone 0559Adeste fidelesPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 63.8 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1216Adios a MexicoPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 69 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0504Admiral Dewey marchPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 66.4 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1113Africana.Published: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 70.3 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 051AmericaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 69 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 097Auction sale, household goodsPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 62 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1220 ZAy chiquitaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 70 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 3662 ZBobolinkPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone. 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 67.5 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 4159Can you then love anotherPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 78.6 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1243 ZCarambaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 3257The carnival of VenicePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 3900 YCarnival of VenicePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 70.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 629 YCasey as doctorPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 608 ZCasey's address to the G.A.R.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 608Casey's address to the G.A.R.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.Berliner's Gramophone 4808 ZLa cinquantainePublished: [United States] : Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 74 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 2002Col. Lawley's salvation chorusesPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 64.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0792Columbia, gem of the oceanPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 69 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 4288Columbian anthemPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 70.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 79 ZThe Crack regimentPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 65.2 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 2976Dem skona AdlaidaPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 63 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 485Eli Green's cake walkPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 71 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0596Fantaisie variéePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 66 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 648 YA few words in regard to drinkingPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1305Fille de Madame Angot.Published: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 65 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 119Funicoli funicola [sic]Published: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0260The garden of flowersPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 66.4 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 3665Che giojaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 68.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.Berliner's Gramophone 4804 ZHearts and flowersPublished: [United States] : Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 67 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 01049Hej mazury: Polish song no. 8.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1900. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 05Hello, ma babyPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 64.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 563Her golden hair was hanging down her backPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1896. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0306Hold the fort: gospel hymn.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 67.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 337 XHome, sweet homePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0173Home, sweet homePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 257Hooneymoon [sic] marchPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 62.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 527 ZA hot time in the old townPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, 70.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0495Les HuguenotsPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, between 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.I don't want to play in your yardPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1895. 1 sound disc : analog, 66.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0341I love her just the samePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 66.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 6013Ingersoll at the tomb of NapoleonPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone. 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 72.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 3446Jigs and reelsPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 65.1 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0323Just as the sun went downPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 69 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1302 YLaughing songPublished: Philadelphia, Pa. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1896. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 6012Lincoln's speech at GettysburgPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone. 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 72.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1233Los lindos ojosPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0607The little speranzaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 66.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0895The Lord is my shepherdPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [190-] 1 sound disc : analog, 69 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 2979MalinPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0928The man behind the gunPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1900. 1 sound disc : analog, 71 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 149 YManhattan Beach marchPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0913Medley quadrille: with figures called.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [190-] 1 sound disc : analog, 68.8 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 401 YMorning on the farmPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 401 XMorning on the farmPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1896. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 401Morning on the farmPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.Berliner's Gramophone 4800Musin mazurkaPublished: New York : Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 66.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 175 YYMy old Kentucky homePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, 61.1 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 2000My sins rose as high as a mountainPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 233 YNational fantasiePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 62.1 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 7002 ZZenda waltzesPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 66 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1731 ZNever did the same thing twicePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, between 75.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 8018 ZOcean breezesPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 67.6 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 301 ZOld folks at homePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 62.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 697On hopePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, 77 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 3428On the banks of the WabashPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 63 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 65Orange blossomsPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, 64.1 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 334Original schottischePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, 62.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0297The palmsPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 70 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0598Polka variataPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 66 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1466 ZPomona waltzPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, 62.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 3251 ZPretty little dark blue eyesPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 159 ZZPrivate Tommy AtkinsPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 69.7 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1464 ZRendez vous valsePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 69.8 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 917 XRock of agesPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 67 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1617 WSanta LuciaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 69.8 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 490Scarlet letterPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 74.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 5014Sentiments on the Cuban questionPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 69 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 235 ZZThe seraphPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 471The serenadePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, 69 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0123The shadows on the doorPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 62 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1808A son of the desert am IPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 63 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1114Sonambula ariaPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 70.3, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1483Sounds from the sunny SouthPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 62.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 345Spaghetti polkaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 69.3 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 61 YStars and stripes forever marchPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897. 1 sound disc : analog, between 65.6 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 470 ZThe stars and stripes foreverPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 68 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 638 YStreet fakirPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1896. 1 sound disc : analog, 69 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0836Street pianoPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 62.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0264Sweet, sweet lovePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899. 1 sound disc : analog, 65.1 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 893 YSweetest story ever toldPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 67.5 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 902The sword of Bunker HillPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1894. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 645 ZTalk on moneyPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1896. 1 sound disc : analog, 67 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 157 YTramp, tramp, trampPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 65 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 6007Uncle Josh Weathersby in a department storePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone. 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 62.6 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1316Vive la CanadiennePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 177 YYWhen Johny [sic] comes marching homePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, 64.2 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 0382Where is my wandering boy tonight?Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 69.8 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 427Whistling medleyPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm. mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 7 XWilliam Tell overturePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 60 rpm, mono. ;8 1/2 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 1923 ZZizzy, ze zum zumPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-] 1 sound disc : analog, 66.4 rpm, mono. ;7 in.E. Berliner's Gramophone 01047Zyczenie: Polish song no. 6.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1900. 1 sound disc : analog, between 66 and 72 rpm, mono. ;7 in.Series 14. Scrapbooks, 1885-1930 5.5 linear feetSeries 14 consists of twelve scrapbooks that contain newspaper clippings, letters, articles, pamphlets, and advertisements. Topics documented in the scrapbooks include Berliner’s inventions -- particularly the phonograph, acoustic tile, and microphone improvements -- as well as issues of importance to him, such as Palestine, Zionism, and milk pasteurization. One scrapbook contains jokes, poetry, and health poems Berliner wrote for newspaper publications. 1926-1928Includes clippings and letters referring to a Berliner biography written by William Wile, Berliner’s proof on microphonic air-gap theory, and public health work. 1917-1928Articles on the phonograph, gramophone, microphone, and telephone. Also poetry, jokes, and health poems. Acoustic tiles, 1930Letters of recommendation, articles, and ads on the Berliner acoustic tile system. 1926-1928Articles and letters on public health work and on the invention of the microphone and acoustic tiles, as well as a biography by William Wile. Partially filled scrapbook, 1885-1894Empty except for three pages relating to the U.S. Gramophone Co. Included are invitations to stockholders’ meetings, gramophone drawings, and an article on cloud telegraphy. Palestine and Zionism [“p & z”], 1918-1919Articles, pamphlets, and letters on Palestine and Zionism. Milk pasteurization and health [“m & h”], 1917-1925Letters, pamphlets, and clippings related to milk pasteurization and health issues. Lawsuit letters and records, 1877-1878Letters concerning Berliner’s testimony in telephone transmitter lawsuits. Milk, 1910Letters and clippings on the health risks of drinking unpasteurized milk. Acoustics, 1925-1928Handwritten notes, letters, pamphlets, and photographs relating to acoustic tiles. Includes a patent for acoustic tiles. Berliner-Edison controversy, 1928Articles and letters on the Edison congressional medal controversy. Historical accounts of the invention of the telephone, phonograph, graphophone, and gramophoneTwo scrapbooks containing pamphlets, brochures, clippings, letters, and photographs. Series 15. Joseph Sanders materials, 1896-1927, 1953-1955 2 linear feetJoseph Sanders, a nephew of Emile Berliner, was for many years Berliner’s laboratory assistant, concentrating on matrix making and the development of record materials. The Joseph Sanders material includes patents, correspondence, booklets, tax forms, brochures and newspaper clippings, telephonic equipment, gramophones, laboratory apparatus, and acoustic paneling. Diaries from the Sanders donation are housed in series 7, Journals and Diaries, and sound recordings are documented in series 13, Recordings. Emile Berliner tax forms, 1917-1927Joseph Sanders fax forms, 1917-1927Cora Berliner tax forms, 1917-1927Telephon-Fabrik catalog, J. Berliner, 1896-1897Patent booklets on copyright infringement cases involving Joseph Sanders, 1919-1910Patent booklets on copyright infringement cases involving Joseph Sanders and Louise Berliner, 1905, 1909Multiplexgrammophon patents, 1905-1910European patents, 1904-1913Austria no. 24624, gramophone record patents,Floor covering patents, 1902Composition of matter patents, 1903-1905Gramophone patents, 1904-1907Patents for gramophone record tablets, 1904-1905Arguments submitted to German patent office overcoming opposition to S.19988 and S. 20853, 1906-1911Gramophone improvement patents, 1904-1906Relates to the yoke supported neck. Patents and correspondence relating to improvement in sound, 1908-1916Sound record tablet patent applications #204, #024, 1904-1910German patent S. 20855, Improvement in sound record tablets, 1905-1912J. Sanders patents, 1905-1916Miscellaneous papers, 1904, 1910, 1915, undatedMiscellaneous papers, undatedInterference #24,849, Sanders v. Schumacher, sound record tablet, 1905Miscellaneous correspondence, 1953-1955Original folder was marked “G.” Correspondence between Joseph Sanders and B.L. Aldridge, 1953-1956Interference #27784, A. Smith and Wicks v. Emerson v. Sanders, gramophone record tablet, 1904-1911Correspondence relating to J. Sanders v. Edgar, 1908-1909Correspondence of Lyons & Bissing, attorneys, 1903-1908Correspondence relating to Austria and Russia, A1344-05/A161909, Improvements in sound record tablets/paper coated facingSeries 16. Acoustic Tile, 1899, 1925-1929 2.5 linear feetThis series contains correspondence and other materials regarding Berliner’s invention of acoustic tile. The series is arranged in alphabetical order with unidentified letters filed at the end. Folders of news clippings from 1927 regarding the invention follow the correspondence. CorrespondenceAmerican Piano Supply Co., 1926American Wire Fabrics Corp., 1926-1928Miscellaneous A, 1925-1929Ballou, Frank M., 1927, 1929Bates Valve Bag Co., 1927-1928Bell Telephone Laboratories, 1925, 1927Berliner, Joseph, 1927-1928Berry, F. E., Jr., 1925, 1927Miscellaneous B, 1926-1929Casein Manufacturing Group, 1926, 1928-1929Cohn, Milton, 1928Commissioners of the District of Columbia, 1925, 1927Miscellaneous C, 1925-1929Miscellaneous D, 1925-1928Miscellaneous E, 1925-1929F.S. & G.L. Brown Machine Co., 1926-1927Miscellaneous F, 1925-1928Commissioners of the District of Columbia, 1927Miscellaneous G, 1925-1928Heilprin, W. A., 1926-1927Miscellaneous H, 1926-1929Miscellaneous I, 1927-1928John R. Livezey Co., 1927-1928Journal of the American Institute of Architects, 1925-1926Miscellaneous J, 1926-1929Miscellaneous K, 1926-1929Ludlow, Israel, 1926Miscellaneous L, 1926-1928Methodist Episcopal Church South, 1926, 1928Miscellaneous M, 1925-1929National Association for Music in Hospitals, Inc., 1926-1927Miscellaneous N-O, 1927-1929Peck, Stowe and Wilcox Co. (Pexto), 1927Miscellaneous P, 1926-1928Miscellaneous R, 1926-1929Smoot, 1927Sun Book and Job Printing Office, Frank Vinton, 1927-1929Miscellaneous S, 1926-1929Miscellaneous T, 1925-1928Miscellaneous U-W, 1925-1929Wolfe & Littlehales, 1925-1927Miscellaneous Y-Z, 1899, 1927-1929Unidentified, 1927Clippings, and 1927undatedFebruary–March, 1927April 1927May 1927June 1927July–August, 1927undatedMiscellaneous clippings, undatedSeries 17. Berliner Family Home Movie, 1903 or 1904 1 film reel of 1 (12 feet) : silent, black-and-white ; 16 mm. nitrateDue to the non-standard frame size of the original nitrate material, the footage was "passed through" the printer four times in order to print all segments of the picture to a 16 mm. viewing print. For the online Berliner exhibit, the 16mm print was transferred to Betacam SP videotape to produce the master for digitization. Short jumps in continuity in the digital version indicate that small parts of the original film are missing. Like many other motion pictures of the time, the original film was probably shot with a variable speed camera. Therefore, in the video mastering process, the playback speed was adjusted to present the appearance of natural motion to the greatest degree possible. Return to the Table of Contents |
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