The group of three Edison cylinders listed on the National Recording Registry.

In January 2003, the Library of Congress included a trio of cylinders from the Edison National Historic Site collection in the new National Recording Registry. The National Recording Preservation Act of 2000 requires the Librarian of Congress to select recordings annually that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

The three Edison cylinder records typify Edison's "exhibition recordings" which introduced practical sound recording and reproduction to the public during the years 1888 and 1889.

Click here for individual descriptions of each cylinder.

The label mounted inside the cylinder display case reads, “Recorder and Reproducer. Three Records Made on the First Perfected Phonograph in 1888/9.

Edison and assistants with the “Perfected” phonograph outside the West Orange Laboratory, June 16, 1888. Edison is seated in the center. Theo Wangemann stands directly behind the inventor. Charles (son) and Mina (wife) Edison look at the late Thomas A. Edison’s desk in the laboratory library on the inventor’s 100th birthday, February 11, 1947. The display case of cylinders is seen on the left end of the fireplace mantel.