Library - Edison and the Phonograph
Edison was not the first to work on electric light. Rather, based on the work of others, he was the first to perfect the electric light bulb - permitting it to last months instead of minutes. This was one side of Edison's genius.
However, there was another side - one where inventions sprung solely from his own imagination and hardwork. The phonograph is a perfect example of this other side of Edison's genius.
Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, before the electric light bulb. Powered solely by springs, the phonograph recorded and played music entirely without electricity.
Like the light bulb, the phonograph was truly revolutionary. For the first time, there was on-demand music. No longer was there the need to have someone play an instrument for there to be music in a home. It was also the first time anyone who didn't live in a major city could hear an opera or a symphony.
Because the phonograph ran on springs, there was no volume control. So to lower the volume, people discovered that they could... “Put a sock in it.” The phrase is still with us today.