Emile Berliner Collection
Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2011622951
General International Standard for Archival Description
Recorded Sound Reference Center, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Emile Berliner collection 1871-1965 1871-1930
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 diameter
over 100 items, chiefly telephone, gramophone, and laboratory equipment, with 7 acoustic insulating panels and material samples, all made of various materials and in various sizes
Berliner, Emile, 1851-1929
Biographical History for: Emile Berliner collection 1871-1965 1871-1930
Biographical Note Emile 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 Tile As 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 Engine In 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.
Scope and Content Note The 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.
series
Series 1. Addresses, circa 1888-1929
Series 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.
file
circa 1925
Series 2. Journal Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1883, 1900, 1922, 1927-1929, 1955
Series 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, 1922-1955
Articles on the gramophone, 1900, 1952
Articles on the telephone, microphone, 1922-1955
Articles on the telephone, microphone, 1883
Articles and clippings on health, 1922-1955
Newspaper clippings on health, 1928-1929
Articles on acoustic tile, 1922-1955
Newspaper clippings on acoustic tile, 1928
Biographical and miscellaneous articles, 1922-1955
Newspaper clippings on Berliner's death, 1929
Newspaper clippings on Berliner's death and other topics, 1929
Miscellaneous articles, 1922-1955
Miscellaneous newspaper clippings, undated
Series 3. Artifacts, undated
This series holds actual parts from machines. They include talking machine needles and washers.
Sprechmaschinen-nandeln [Talking machine needles], undated
Washer samples, undated
Series 4. Books, 1879-1928
This 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! 1919
Annual Report of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, 1908
United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, brief for defendants, 1894
History of the Telephone Transmitter, 1894
Gedenkblätter 150 Stiftungstag des Wohltätigkeitsverins der Synagogengemeinde Hannover (Pages of testimony in memory of the Foundation Day charities for the synagogue community in Hanover, Germany), 1912
Annotation on front cover notes the page number of the account of Berliner’s 42 years of service in Jewish charity work.
Two copies.
Jubiläumsschrift der Telephon-Fabrik Actiengesellschaft (25th Jubilee Book of the J. Berliner Telephone Factory), 1881-1906
Muddy Jim and Other Rhymes, 1919
Muddy Jim: Supplement: 12 Chapters in Hygiene, circa 1919
Telegraphic Journal and Electrical Review: v. 7, January–December, 1879
Twelve Years of the Telephone Pioneers of America, 1923
Various Aspects of Birth Control, 1928
Washington Health Rules, 1915
United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, argument of J. J. Storrow, Esq. for defendants, 1894
United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, summary brief for defendants, 1894
United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, argument of Frederick P. Fish, for defendants, 1893
United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, v. I, pleadings and evidence, 1894
United States of America v. American Bell Telephone Co. and Emile Berliner, v. II, exhibits, 1894
American 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, 1894
American Bell Telephone Co., Emile Berliner v. the United States of America, brief for appellants; Appellants reply to appellee’s memorandum; Summary of proceedings, 1895
American Bell Telephone Co., v. the Overland Telephone Company of New Jersey, 1884
American Bell Telephone Co., v. the People’s Telephone Company et al, 1884
Dept. of Interior, United States v. American Bell Telephone, 1887; United States v. American Bell Telephone, 1885, 1887-1888
United 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, 1888
The Telephone Appeals, oral argument of Mr. Dickerson, January 24 to February 8, 1887
The Telephone Appeals, oral argument of Mr. Storrow on the Drawbaugh defence, January 24 to February 8, 1887
History of the telephone, James Storrow before the Supreme Court, 1886
American Bell Telephone Co. v. Sylvanus D. Cushman et al, 1893
American Bell Telephone Co. v. National Telephone Manufacturing Co., v. Century Telephone Co. et al,, argument of Frederic H. Betts, 1899
American Bell Telephone Co. v. National Telephone Manufacturing Co. v. Century Telephone Co. et al, , brief for complainant, 1899
American Bell Telephone Co. v. National Telephone Co. Manufacturing Co. et al, argument at the hearing in support of the defense, by R.S. Taylor, 1899
American Bell Telephone Co. v. National Telephone Co. Manufacturing Co. et al, brief for defendants, 1895
American Bell Telephone Co. v. National Telephone Co. Manufacturing Co. et al, brief for complainant upon appeal, 1902
Gramophone Litigation, [1905?]
The Electrician, Weekly Journal, v. 4, November 22, 1879, to May 15, 1880
Telegraphic Journal and Electrical Review, v. 8, January–December, 1880
Series 5. Catalogs, 1895-1896
Series 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, 1895
E. Berliner’s gramophone, 1895
Advance list of new records, 1895
Supplementary list of records, 1895
Supplement list of new gramophone records, 1896
Series 6. Correspondence, 1871-1926, 1946-1955
This 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.
July 1922-1928
October 1926-November 6, 1926, undated
November 7, 1926-November 24, 1926, undated
1946, 1955, undated
Louise Berliner Frank King’s family tree research
Series 7. Journals and Diaries, 1889-1907
Series 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, 1889-1890
Includes copies.
Joseph Sanders’s diary, 1906
Joseph Sanders’s diary, 1907
Unidentified diary, undated
Series 8. Miscellaneous Materials, 1897-1929
This 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, 1927-1929
Sheet music, invitations, award certificates, programs, 1896-1930
Promotional materials for the Celotex Company, 1925
Series 9. Notes and Papers, 1977-1928
Series 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, 1877-1884
Experiment log and notes on experiments, including batteries, candle, light through electrolyte and magnetic field, and final development of the Blake transmitter, 1884-1923
Birthday tribute to Emile Berliner on his 75th birthday, publicity for Berliner’s acoustic cement cells, and Berliner’s funeral preferences, 1926-1928
Agreement 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, 1897
Legal documents and notes in German, 1887-1891
Series 10. Pamphlets, 1890-1929, 1951, undated
This 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.
Gramophone
Acoustics
Microphone
Telephone almanac, 1951
Series 11. Patents, 1879-1909
Copies 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.
Gramophone, 1887-1898
Other patent holders, A-F
Other patent holders, G-Z
Series 12. Photographs, 1871-1965, undated
This 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.
undated
1875, 1895, undated
1875-1907, undated
1927, undated
Photograph album, circa 1918-1923
1912-1932, undated
1912, 1915, 1924, undated
1910-1927, undated
1900-1950, undated
1920, 1932, undated
1915–1924, undated
1910-1965, undated
1910-1932, undated
1876, 1894, 1920, undated
1888, undated
1914, undated
1877, 1926, undated
1890-1900, undated
1898, 1924-1929, undated
1920, 1926, undated
Emile Berliner on porch
Milton King on horseback
Portrait of Louise Berliner
Portraits of Robert Berliner Frank
Portrait of Cora Berliner
Matrix plant of the Berliner Gramophone Co.
Series 13. Recordings, circa 1890-1950s
Scope and Content of Series 13 The 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.
item
Adeste fidelesPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Unidentified chimes performer.
Recorded at an unknown location, Sept. 29, 1899.
Adios a MexicoPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Arthur B. Adamini, tenor; with piano acc.
Autograph of Adamini inscribed in zinc master.
Admiral Dewey marchPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Santelmann, William H. (William Henry), 1863-1932.
Performed by the United States Marine Band; William H. Santelmann, conductor.
Recorded at an unknown location, Sept. 20, 1899.
Autograph of Santelmann (conductor) inscribed in zinc master.
Africana.Published: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Meyerbeer, Giacomo, 1791-1864.
Alberto del Campo, baritone; piano acc.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., June 6, 1898.
AmericaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
George J. Gaskin, tenor; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, Apr. 5, 1899.
Autograph of Gaskin inscribed in zinc master.
Auction sale, household goodsPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Len Spencer, speaker.
Recorded at an unknown location, Apr. 29, 1899.
Autograph of Spencer inscribed in zinc master.
Ay chiquitaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Yradier, Sebastián, 1809-1865.
BobolinkPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone. 1898.
Bischoff, J. W. (John W.), 1850-1909.
Virginia Powell Goodwin, soprano; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, Mar. 1898.
Can you then love anotherPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Rieger, William H.
S. Mantia, euphonium; piano acc.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., July 25, 1898.
Autograph of Mantia inscribed in zinc master.
CarambaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
The carnival of VenicePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Benedict, Julius, 1804-1885.
Charles P. Lowe, xylophone.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., date unknown.
Carnival of VenicePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Jean Moeremans, saxophone; piano acc.
Autograph of Moeremans inscribed in zinc master.
Casey as doctorPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Hunting, Russell.
Russell Hunting, speaker.
Recorded at an unknown location, Mar. 20, 1897.
Casey's address to the G.A.R.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
John Terrell, speaker.
Casey's address to the G.A.R.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Recorded at an unknown location, June 1898.
Autograph of Terrell inscribed in zinc master.
La cinquantainePublished: [United States] : Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Dorothy Hoyle, violin; piano acc.
Autograph of Dorothy Hoyle inscribed in zinc master.
Col. Lawley's salvation chorusesPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
John Lawley, tenor; piano acc.
Recorded in Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 1898.
Autograph of Lawley inscribed in zinc master.
Columbia, gem of the oceanPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Shaw, David T.
Florence Hayward, soprano; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, Dec. 8, 1899.
Autograph of Hayward inscribed in zinc master.
Columbian anthemPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Berliner, Emile, 1851-1929.
Performed by the Haydn Quartet.
Autograph of S.H. Dudley (baritone and manager) inscribed in zinc master.
The Crack regimentPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Tobani, Theo. M. (Theodore Moses), 1855-1933.
Performed by Sousa's Band.
Dem skona AdlaidaPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
William Mattson, baritone; piano acc.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., May 28, 1898.
Autograph of Mattsson inscribed in zinc master.
Eli Green's cake walkPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Koninsky, Sadie.
Cullen and Collins, banjo duo.
Recorded at an unknown location, May 1898.
Autographs of Cullen and Collins inscribed on zinc master.
Fantaisie variéePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Bruniau, A.
Jacques L. van Poucke, clarinet; piano acc.
recorded at an unknown location, Oct. 12, 1899.
Autograph of Jacques van Poucke inscribed in zinc master.
A few words in regard to drinkingPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Fille de Madame Angot.Published: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Lecocq, Charles, 1832-1918.
Laure Libra, soprano; piano acc.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., June 11, 1898.
Autograph of Libra inscribed in zinc master.
Funicoli funicola [sic]Published: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Denza, Luigi.
Performed by Banda Rossa.
Recorded in New York N.Y., date unknown.
The garden of flowersPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Recorded at an unknown location, June 12, 1899.
Che giojaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Virgina Powell Goodwin, soprano; piano acc.
Autograph of Goodwin inscribed in zinc master.
Hearts and flowersPublished: [United States] : Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
C. de Arth, violin; piano acc.
Hej mazury: Polish song no. 8.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1900.
Mr. Torowicz, tenor; with piano acc.
Recorded at an unknwon location, Mar. 3, 1900.
Hello, ma babyPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Howard, Joseph E. (Joseph Edgar), 1878-1961.
Len G. Spencer, baritone; piano accompaniment.
Recorded at an unknown location, Apr. 15, 1899.
Her golden hair was hanging down her backPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1896.
McGlennon, Felix, 1856-1943.
Maud Foster, contralto; piano acc.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., Jan. 30, 1896.
Hold the fort: gospel hymn.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Bliss, P. P. (Philip Paul), 1838-1876.
Len Spencer, baritone; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, June 30, 1899.
Home, sweet homePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Bishop, Henry R. (Henry Rowley), 1786-1855.
August P. Stengler, clarinet; piano accompaniment.
Recorded at an unknown location, Nov. 2, 1898.
Home, sweet homePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Unidentified chimes.
Recorded at an unknown location, Sept. 15, 1899.
Hooneymoon [sic] marchPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Rosey, Geo. (George)
Performed by an unidentified pianist.
A hot time in the old townPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Metz, Theodore A., 1848-1936.
Dan W. Quinn, tenor; piano acc.
Recorded in Washington, D.C., May 17, 1897.
Les HuguenotsPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Bernard Bégué, baritone; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, Sept. 16, 1899.
Autograph of Bégué inscribed in zinc master.
I don't want to play in your yardPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1895.
Petrie, H. W. (Henry W.), 1857-1925.
Recorded at an unknown location, Oct. 29, 1895.
I love her just the samePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
S.H. Dudley, baritone; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, July 15, 1899.
Autograph of Dudley inscribed in zinc master.
Ingersoll at the tomb of NapoleonPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone. 1898.
Ingersoll, Robert Green, 1833-1899.
W.F. Hooley, speaker.
Recorded at an unknown location, Sept. 21, 1898.
Autograph of Hooley inscribed in zinc master.
Jigs and reelsPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Marie McNeil, cornet; piano acc.
Autograph of McNeil inscribed in zinc master.
Just as the sun went downPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Udall, Lyn.
Edna Florence, soprano; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, July 11, 1899.
Laughing songPublished: Philadelphia, Pa. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1896.
Jones, Sidney, 1861-1946.
Maurice Farkoa, tenor; piano acc.
Recorded in Philadelphia, Pa., May 8, 1896.
Lincoln's speech at GettysburgPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone. 1898.
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., Sept. 21, 1898.
Los lindos ojosPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Eugenie M. Ferrer, soprano; piano acc.
Autograph of Ferrer inscribed in zinc master.
The little speranzaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Recorded at an unknown location, Oct. 13, 1899.
The Lord is my shepherdPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [190-]
Harry Macdonough, tenor; Florence Hayward, soprano; piano acc.
MalinPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
The man behind the gunPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1900.
Recorded at an unknown location, Feb. 27, 1900.
Manhattan Beach marchPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Sousa, John Philip, 1854-1932.
Performed by an unidentified military band.
Recorded in Washington, D.C., Apr. 24, 1897.
Medley quadrille: with figures called.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [190-]
Performed by the Metropolitan Orchestra.
Morning on the farmPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Wood, N. R.
N.R. Wood, vocals.
Recorded in Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 1897.
Morning on the farmPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1896.
Recorded at an unknown location, Feb. 15, 1896.
Morning on the farmPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Recorded at an unknown location, Nov. 1898.
Autograph of Wood inscribed in zinc master.
Musin mazurkaPublished: New York : Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Jennie Hoyle, violin; piano acc.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., July 26, 1898.
Autograph of Jennie Hoyle inscribed in zinc master.
My old Kentucky homePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Foster, Stephen Collins, 1826-1864.
Edward M. Favor, tenor; piano acc.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., June 30, 1897.
My sins rose as high as a mountainPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
National fantasiePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
William Paris Chambers, cornet; piano acc.
Autograph of Chambers inscribed in zinc master.
Zenda waltzesPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Witmark, Frank M.
Performed by Higgins' Orchestra; Henry Higgins, conductor.
Autograph of Higgins (conductor) inscribed in zinc master.
Never did the same thing twicePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., Mar. 31, 1898.
Autograph of Quinn inscribed in zinc master.
Ocean breezesPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Herbert, Victor, 1859-1924.
Victor Herbert's 22nd Regiment Band ; Otto Schneiber, conductor.
Autograph of Otto Schneiber inscribed in zinc master.
Old folks at homePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
August P. Stengler, clarinet; piano acc.
On hopePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Robert G. Ingersoll, speaker.
Recorded in New York, Dec. 31, 1897.
Autograph of Ingersoll inscribed in zinc master.
On the banks of the WabashPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Dresser, Paul, 1858-1906.
Arthur Pryor, trombone; Henry Higgins, cornet.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., Mar. 28, 1899.
Autographs of Pryor and Higgins inscribed in zinc master.
Orange blossomsPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Pryor, Arthur, 1870-1942.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., Aug. 18, 1898.
Original schottischePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Joseph Norrito, clarinet; piano acc.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., Aug. 3, 1897.
The palmsPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Faure, J. (Jean), 1830-1914.
F. Giannini, tenor; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, June 28, 1899.
Autograph of Giannini inscribed in zinc master.
Polka variataPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Jean B.H. Moeremans, saxophone; Jacques L. van Poucke, clarinet; piano acc.
Autographs of Moeremans and Poucke inscribed in zinc master.
Pomona waltzPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Waldteufel, Emil, 1837-1915.
Performed by an unidentified orchestra.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., July 1, 1897.
Pretty little dark blue eyesPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Charles P. Lowe, xylophone; piano acc.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., Oct. 12, 1897.
Private Tommy AtkinsPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
John Terrell, baritone; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, Oct. 20, 1898.
Rendez vous valsePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Rock of agesPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Hastings, Thomas, 1784-1872.
Albert C. Campbell, tenor ; piano accompaniment.
Autograph of Campbell inscribed in zinc master.
Santa LuciaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Ferruccio Giannini, tenor; with piano.
Scarlet letterPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Gaisberg, Frederick William.
Recorded at an unknown location, Apr. 1898.
Sentiments on the Cuban questionPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Buffalo Bill, 1846-1917.
William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill), speaker.
Recorded in New York, N,Y., Apr. 20, 1898.
Autograph signature (as William F. Cody) inscribed in zinc master of Berliner disc.
The seraphPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Chambers, William Paris, 1854-1913.
The serenadePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Vess L. Ossman, banjo; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, Oct. 9, 1897.
The shadows on the doorPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Will F. Denny, tenor; piano acc.
Recorded at an unknown location, May 2, 1899.
Autograph of Denny inscribed in zinc master.
A son of the desert am IPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Phillips, Walter A.
J. W. Myers, baritone; piano acc.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., Mar. 26, 1898.
Autograph of Myers inscribed in zinc master.
Sonambula ariaPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Bellini, Vincenzo, 1801-1835.
Sounds from the sunny SouthPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Performed by Metropolitan Orchestra.
Spaghetti polkaPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
F. Jardella, clarinet; piano acc.
Stars and stripes forever marchPublished: Washington, D.C. : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1897.
Unidentified military band.
Recorded in Washington, D.C., May 27, 1897.
The stars and stripes foreverPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Street fakirPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1896.
Graham, George, fl. 1896-1903.
George Graham, speaker.
Recorded at an unknown location, May 23, 1896.
Street pianoPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Unidentified barrel organist.
Recorded at an unknown location, Dec. 19, 1899.
Sweet, sweet lovePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1899.
Bowers, Frederic V., 1874-1961.
Arthur Pryor, trombone; piano acc.
Autograph of Pryor inscribed in zinc master.
Sweetest story ever toldPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Stults, R. M.
Autograph of S.H. Dudley (baritone and mangager) inscribed in zinc master.
The sword of Bunker HillPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1894.
Covert, B. (Bernard), b. 1820.
Samuel Ross, baritone; piano acc.
recorded at an unknown location, Nov. 20, 1894.
Talk on moneyPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1896.
Recorded at an unknown location, June 2, 1896.
Tramp, tramp, trampPublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Root, George F. (George Frederick), 1820-1895.
Recorded in New York, N.Y., June 10, 1898.
Uncle Josh Weathersby in a department storePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone. 1898.
Stewart, Cal, 1856-1919.
Cal Stewart, speaker.
Autograph of Stewart inscribed in zinc master.
Vive la CanadiennePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Eugene Danton, baritone; piano acc.
Autograph of Danton inscribed in zinc master.
When Johny [sic] comes marching homePublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Gilmore, P. S. (Patrick Sarsfield), 1829-1892.
John Terrell, baritone; piano accompaniment.
Where is my wandering boy tonight?Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Lowry, Robert, 1826-1899.
Whistling medleyPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1898.
Milton M. Clark, whistler.
William Tell overturePublished: New York : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Rossini, Gioacchino, 1792-1868.
Performed by Banda Rossa (musical group).
Zizzy, ze zum zumPublished: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, [189-]
Zyczenie: Polish song no. 6.Published: [United States] : E. Berliner's Gramophone, 1900.
Series 14. Scrapbooks, 1885-1930
Series 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.
Includes clippings and letters referring to a Berliner biography written by William Wile, Berliner’s proof on microphonic air-gap theory, and public health work.
Articles on the phonograph, gramophone, microphone, and telephone. Also poetry, jokes, and health poems.
Acoustic tiles, 1930
Letters of recommendation, articles, and ads on the Berliner acoustic tile system.
Articles 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, 1885-1894
Empty 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”], 1918-1919
Articles, pamphlets, and letters on Palestine and Zionism.
Milk pasteurization and health [“m & h”], 1917-1925
Letters, pamphlets, and clippings related to milk pasteurization and health issues.
Lawsuit letters and records, 1877-1878
Letters concerning Berliner’s testimony in telephone transmitter lawsuits.
Milk, 1910
Letters and clippings on the health risks of drinking unpasteurized milk.
Acoustics, 1925-1928
Handwritten notes, letters, pamphlets, and photographs relating to acoustic tiles. Includes a patent for acoustic tiles.
Berliner-Edison controversy, 1928
Articles and letters on the Edison congressional medal controversy.
Historical accounts of the invention of the telephone, phonograph, graphophone, and gramophone
Two scrapbooks containing pamphlets, brochures, clippings, letters, and photographs.
Series 15. Joseph Sanders materials, 1896-1927, 1953-1955
The Joseph Sanders materials were donated to the Library of Congress by his son, Robert Sanders.
Joseph 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, 1917-1927
Joseph Sanders fax forms, 1917-1927
Cora Berliner tax forms, 1917-1927
Telephon-Fabrik catalog, J. Berliner, 1896-1897
Patent booklets on copyright infringement cases involving Joseph Sanders, 1919-1910
Patent booklets on copyright infringement cases involving Joseph Sanders and Louise Berliner, 1905, 1909
Multiplexgrammophon patents, 1905-1910
European patents, 1904-1913
Austria no. 24624, gramophone record patents,
Floor covering patents, 1902
Composition of matter patents, 1903-1905
Gramophone patents, 1904-1907
Patents for gramophone record tablets, 1904-1905
Arguments submitted to German patent office overcoming opposition to S.19988 and S. 20853, 1906-1911
Gramophone improvement patents, 1904-1906
Relates to the yoke supported neck.
Patents and correspondence relating to improvement in sound, 1908-1916
Sound record tablet patent applications #204, #024, 1904-1910
German patent S. 20855, Improvement in sound record tablets, 1905-1912
J. Sanders patents, 1905-1916
Miscellaneous papers, 1904, 1910, 1915, undated
Miscellaneous papers, undated
Interference #24,849, Sanders v. Schumacher, sound record tablet, 1905
Miscellaneous correspondence, 1953-1955
Original folder was marked “G.”
Correspondence between Joseph Sanders and B.L. Aldridge, 1953-1956
Interference #27784, A. Smith and Wicks v. Emerson v. Sanders, gramophone record tablet, 1904-1911
Correspondence relating to J. Sanders v. Edgar, 1908-1909
Correspondence of Lyons & Bissing, attorneys, 1903-1908
Correspondence relating to Austria and Russia, A1344-05/A161909, Improvements in sound record tablets/paper coated facing
Series 16. Acoustic Tile, 1899, 1925-1929
This series contains correspondence and other materials regarding Berliner’s invention of acoustic tile.
No online presentation of the items in Series 16 is available.
subseries
Correspondence
American Piano Supply Co., 1926
American Wire Fabrics Corp., 1926-1928
Miscellaneous A, 1925-1929
Ballou, Frank M., 1927, 1929
Bates Valve Bag Co., 1927-1928
Bell Telephone Laboratories, 1925, 1927
Berliner, Joseph, 1927-1928
Berry, F. E., Jr., 1925, 1927
Miscellaneous B, 1926-1929
Casein Manufacturing Group, 1926, 1928-1929
Cohn, Milton, 1928
Commissioners of the District of Columbia, 1925, 1927
Miscellaneous C, 1925-1929
Miscellaneous D, 1925-1928
Miscellaneous E, 1925-1929
F.S. & G.L. Brown Machine Co., 1926-1927
Miscellaneous F, 1925-1928
Commissioners of the District of Columbia, 1927
Miscellaneous G, 1925-1928
Heilprin, W. A., 1926-1927
Miscellaneous H, 1926-1929
Miscellaneous I, 1927-1928
John R. Livezey Co., 1927-1928
Journal of the American Institute of Architects, 1925-1926
Miscellaneous J, 1926-1929
Miscellaneous K, 1926-1929
Ludlow, Israel, 1926
Miscellaneous L, 1926-1928
Methodist Episcopal Church South, 1926, 1928
Miscellaneous M, 1925-1929
National Association for Music in Hospitals, Inc., 1926-1927
Miscellaneous N-O, 1927-1929
Peck, Stowe and Wilcox Co. (Pexto), 1927
Miscellaneous P, 1926-1928
Miscellaneous R, 1926-1929
Smoot, 1927
Sun Book and Job Printing Office, Frank Vinton, 1927-1929
Miscellaneous S, 1926-1929
Miscellaneous T, 1925-1928
Miscellaneous U-W, 1925-1929
Wolfe & Littlehales, 1925-1927
Miscellaneous Y-Z, 1899, 1927-1929
Unidentified, 1927
Clippings, 1927 and undated
February–March, 1927
April 1927
May 1927
June 1927
July–August, 1927
Miscellaneous clippings, undated
Series 17. Berliner Family Home Movie, 1903 or 1904
Due 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.