The Allen Koenigsberg Phonograph Collection
Lot 3029:
Description
An extraordinary piece of early recording history, this lot features two historical documents dating to June 1888, detailing the monumental “exchange of voices across the Atlantic Ocean” via Thomas Edison’s newly perfected phonograph. The first document is a rare Russian translation sheet (“To be translated into Russian”) featuring printed correspondence between Thomas Edison in Orange, New Jersey, and Colonel George Edward Gouraud in Upper Norwood, Surrey, England, celebrating the arrival and clarity of a “voice letter” phonogram. The second sheet contains the corresponding text in Cyrillic, executed in a striking blue-green ink. The reverse side of the pink English flyer details the practical operations of the phonograph, including its use with a Remington Type-writer. Both documents exhibit age-appropriate wear, including minor edge fraying, light creasing from being previously folded, and some light discoloration or foxing, but the text remains remarkably legible and clear. H 10.5″, W 8″. See photos for condition. From the Allan Koenigsberg collection.
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