Mood Indigo: The Allure of Blue Amberol Records
Think all Edison cylinder records were black? Think again! Plus a new Inconspicuous News Roundup, some IC follow-ups, and more!
Before MP3 files, before CDs, before LPs, 45s, and 78s, there were Edison cylinders, the original commercial medium for recorded music. I used to have a couple of them, just because I thought they were interesting novelties (I don’t recall what happened to them), but I’ve never collected them or been particularly well-versed in the nuances of their history.
That probably explains why I was so wowed by the Edison cylinder I recently encountered at a yard sale (see above). All the previous Edisons I’d seen were black, but this one was blue. I had no idea they came in any color other than black! The saturated blue hue made the cylinder seem simultaneously old-timey and modern. I found it so captivating that I went ahead and bought the cylinder ($10), even though I have nothing to play it on.
Here’s a video clip that provides a full view of the cylinder’s container, complete with Thomas Edison’s portrait on the far side:
