Significant ALS in pencil, signed “With oceans of rock-ribbed love, Your lover, T.A.E.,” two pages, 6 x 9, no date but circa 1912–1913. Handwritten letter to his wife, Mina, addressed to "Darling Buster," in full: "Nothing particular happened, after you left. Yesterday however had a strenuous day. The Exclusive Edison Jobbers Assn. came to Lab & Works. There were 20 to 25, we exhibited a sample of every type of phono[graph] we are to manufacture, $30 $45 60 80 100 125 & 200 cylinder, $60. $80 150 200 250 300 350 & $400 disc. They heard some of the smoother discs & also some of the new tunes we have just plated. They all insist I shall put on Tango, & Rag tunes of the latest out as they say they young folks are the ones who use Phonos the most & demand this stuff.
We are still turning out about 3000 records daily & it will soon reach 5000, we expect to receive lots of orders for Phonos within 15@20 days—Went home last night 12 o'clock & got up 6:30, read papers & reached Lab at 8 o'clock. Monnat will arrive in 2 days on Muretiana & goes back on her, I am feeling OK—Am testing the balance of those infernal Italian Voice Trials tonight, been busy all day with a great number of details. Hope you are settled & happy ere this letter arrives." In fine condition, with some minor edge chipping.
When Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, he initially envisioned it for uses like dictation, audio books, and foreign language-learning—not music. However, recording music quickly became the most popular use for the device, which first imprinted sound onto tinfoil cylinders and later onto more durable wax cylinders. Though Edison long preferred the wax cylinders, he finally introduced a disc phonograph and disc records in 1912. He also sent an agent to Europe in search of operatic performances to record and sell; they returned hundreds of recordings for Edison's review, virtually all of which he disliked (here calling them "infernal Italian voice trials"). Soon, Edison's record label was putting out a variety of popular music—tango and rag included—helping to develop popular culture across America and the world.
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