In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph – the world’s first device capable of capturing and playing back sound. By 1888, Edison had relaunched it for broader commercial use. To promote his invention in Britain, as this video essay from the YouTube channel Kings and Things details, he enlisted Colonel George Gouraud, an American Civil War veteran turned entrepreneur. At his south London home, Gouraud hosted lavish gatherings where influential Victorians, fuelled by wine and curiosity, marvelled at the phonograph’s ability to record and relay their voices. Heard today, these recordings provide a riveting glimpse into Victorian manners, language and life.
‘Astonished and somewhat terrified’ – Victorians’ reactions to the phonograph
Video by Kings and Things
27 January 2025
videoHistory of technology
The Americas’ oldest book is an intricate work of Maya astronomy
9 minutes
videoDesign and fashion
Beyond fortune-telling – the enduring beauty and allure of tarot
16 minutes
videoBiology
What would it mean if we were able to ‘speak’ with whales?
65 minutes
videoHistory
The dry-stacked stones of Zimbabwe are a medieval engineering wonder
7 minutes
videoHistory
In Stalin’s home city in Georgia, generations clash over his legacy
20 minutes
videoHistory
In the face of denial, this film uncovers the hidden scars of Indonesia’s 1998 riots
21 minutes
videoMedicine
Drinking wine from toxic cups was the 17th century’s own dubious ‘detox’ treatment
11 minutes
videoEngineering
How water-based clocks revolutionised the way we measure time
10 minutes
videoEcology and environmental sciences
Join endangered whooping cranes on their perilous migratory path over North America
6 minutes