Music recorded in 1888
1888 was a year in which empires and nation-states were reorganized, while communication and recording technologies became a part of everyday life, accelerating the flow of information and entertainment. In Europe, the German Empire experienced the so-called Year of the Three Emperors, when, following the death of Wilhelm I (1797–1888) on March 9, 1888, Frederick III (1831–1888) ascended to the throne. However, his reign lasted only about 99 days, and on June 15, 1888, Wilhelm II (1859–1941) became emperor. The fact that succession of political powers occurred so quickly demonstrated how modern states can be affected by personal health and other unexpected events, and it created an atmosphere of tension for the next wave of international relations. Modern sports were becoming increasingly institutionalized in Britain, with William McGregor (1846–1911) and others founding the Football League in England, and regular competitions becoming organized as entertainment for urban life.
In the Americas, social system change and political tensions were prominent. In the Brazilian Empire, Crown Princess Isabel (1846–1921) signed the Golden Law (Lei Áurea) on May 13, 1888, legally abolishing slavery in the country. In the United States, the 1888 presidential election was held, with incumbent Grover Cleveland (1837–1908) and Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901) contesting over tariff policy and other issues. The Great Blizzard of 1888 struck the northeastern United States from March 11–14 of the same year, highlighting the reality that urban transportation and communications could be paralyzed by weather and highlighting the vulnerability of an era in which infrastructure was increasingly linked to daily life.
The modernization of cities also exacerbated anxiety. In London, the Whitechapel murders occurred one after another in 1888. The identity of the perpetrator remained unknown, but he came to be known as "Jack the Ripper" (date of birth and death unknown). Newspaper reports spread both fear and curiosity throughout the city. Meanwhile, voices were raised in the workplace, and in July 1888, a strike by women workers at Bryant and May, known as the Match Factory Dispute, garnered support from Annie Besant (1847–1933) and others, bringing issues of working conditions and public health to the attention of society.
In science and technology, discoveries dealing with the "invisible" and media that have entered everyday life simultaneously grew. In physics, Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (1857–1894) demonstrated the existence of electromagnetic waves in experiments conducted between 1887 and 1888, strengthening the modern scientific approach of supporting theory through experiments. In electrical power technology, Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) patented the AC motor on May 1, 1888, and the use of rotating magnetic fields became the foundation for industrialization. In the area of mass image reproduction, George Eastman (1854–1932) popularized the roll-film camera under the name "Kodak," moving photography from a specialized technology into consumer culture. Furthermore, in 1888 the National Geographic Society was founded, laying the groundwork for updating the world picture through publications and membership organizations.
In the realm of sound, the technology of recording and duplication that would support popular music in later generations also advanced and changed form. Emil Berliner (1851–1929) publicly demonstrated the gramophone at the Franklin Institute on May 16, 1888, presenting the idea of using a disk rather than a cylinder as a vision of the future of recording media. On July 14 of the same year, Jesse H. Lippincott (1842–1894) incorporated the North American Phonograph Company, advancing a commercial plan to lease and operate Thomas Alva Edison's (1847–1931) phonograph and the graphophone technology of Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), Charles Sumner Tainter (1854–1940), and Chichester Bell (1848–1924) through local companies. In Japan, too, institutional development progressed in 1888, with the promulgation of the City and Town System and the establishment of the Privy Council, with Ito Hirobumi (1841–1909) becoming its first President. The parallel developments in the same year, including political succession, the redefinition of rights, the fragility of cities revealed by disasters, and the mediaization of images, geography, and sound, also paved the way for a society in which culture would later be recorded as "events" and viewed and listened to repeatedly.
Confirmed recordings from this year: 4
June
In June 1888 (Meiji 21), preparations for the establishment of a constitution were underway in Japan, and the country was gradually taking shape as a constitutional state. That same month, in Europe and the United States, technological innovation was progressing following the Industrial Revolution, and Emile Berliner was working on improving disc recording technology. Technological advances that year opened up the possibility of recordings being widely available in homes and commercial settings, marking the beginning of the popularization of music culture.
June 29
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Handel festival: “Israel In Egypt” – Excerpt |
[Events of June 29, 1888]
・Bobby Veach (1888–1945)
Bobby Veach (1888–1945), who would later become a leading hitter for the Detroit Tigers, was born in Kentucky, USA.
・Squizzy Taylor (1888–1927)
Squizzy Taylor (1888–1927), a gangster known in Australia, was born here and later became an iconic figure in Melbourne's criminal history.
August
August 1888 was a month packed with events that heralded the dawn of automobiles and aviation. Carl Benz (1844–1929) became the world's first driver's license holder in Germany, Bertha Benz (1849–1944) drove the long distance between Mannheim and Pforzheim, and Friedrich Hermann Wölfert (1850–1897) made the first successful engine-powered flight in a powered airship.
Meanwhile, in London, the murder of Mary Ann Nichols (1845–1888), believed to be the first victim of the Jack the Ripper case, occurred in Whitechapel, the first trams began operating in Tallinn, Estonia, and in August of that year, Gakushuin University in Japan moved to Sannen-cho, Kojimachi Ward. This was a time when the growth and unrest of modern urban societies was occurring simultaneously all over the world.
August 14
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| The Lost Chord | n/a |
| Whistling | Alice J. Shaw |
[Events of August 14, 1888]
・Edison Gramophone Demonstration and Playback of "The Lost Chord" in London
On August 14, 1888, Thomas Edison's improved phonograph (the Perfected Phonograph) was unveiled at a press conference at George Gloriaud's "Little Menlo" house in Beulah Hill, near London. A recording of Arthur Sullivan's "The Lost Chord" for cornet and piano was played on the occasion, making it one of the earliest surviving music recordings and an important piece of recording and sound history.
・Completion of the second floor of the Eiffel Tower
On August 14, 1888, the second floor of the Eiffel Tower in Paris was completed, with the steel frame erected to a height of approximately 115 metres. This was an important milestone in the construction process leading up to the 1889 Paris World's Fair, and is considered a milestone that would lead to the completion of the entire tower on March 31, 1889.
・The 1888 Louisiana Hurricane
On August 14, 1888, a tropical depression was observed off the northeast coast of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and it was later analyzed that Tropical Depression No. 3, known as the 1888 Louisiana hurricane, had formed. The storm then passed through the Bahamas and southern Florida before entering the Gulf of Mexico, making landfall in Louisiana on August 19 and causing widespread flooding and severe wind damage along the Mississippi River.
August 17
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Piano solo | Mrs. Eyre |
[Events of August 17, 1888]
・Edison Phonograph Works stock certificate issued
A stock certificate issued by the state of New Jersey, dated August 17, 1888, is currently being auctioned as an equity certificate for Edison Phonograph Works, signed by Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931) as president. The certificate clearly states "20 150/1,000th Shares, New Jersey, 17 August 1888," and is a primary historical document that provides concrete evidence of the capital structure of a recording company in the early days of mass production of cylindrical phonographs, as well as Edison's personal involvement in management.
・"Complete Phonograph" Reports and Jokes in American Local Newspapers
In its August 17, 1888 issue, The Morning News, a newspaper based in Savannah, Georgia, ran an article titled "Edison's Perfect Phonograph Continues to Astonish Londoners," detailing demonstrations of recording poetry, songs, whistling, and more.
The same day, The Messenger, a weekly newspaper in Fayetteville, North Carolina, carried a humorous vignette in which an Edison representative promoted the phonograph, showing how the new recording technology quickly became a source of daily laughter in the local town.
Dated "non-musical" recordings from 1888
June 16: The Phonograph's Salutation
It is said that the Reverend Horatio Nelson Powers (1826–1901) recorded a self-recorded recitation of the poem "The Phonograph's Salutation" at the Edison Laboratory in New Jersey, and that the recording was sent to Little Menlo, London on June 26th, where it was played at the "First Phonogram Exchange." The date of the recording is clearly stated on a note and in later research as "June 16, 1888," making this the earliest confirmed example of a "non-musical" recording from 1888.
August 14: Little Menlo Dinner Toast Recordings
At the press demonstration in Little Menlo, London on August 14, 1888, a series of congratulatory messages and greetings from London newspaper reporters and guests are recorded, including "Letter to Mr. Edison from Col. Gouraud, August 14, Little Menlo" (E-2440-12), "London Press congratulations to Mr. Edison" (E-2440-08), "London Press congratulations to Mr. Edison, Mr. Broadley continued" (E-2440-05), "Cheers to Mr. Edison by London Press, August 14, Little Menlo" (E-2440-24), and "Mr. Manns to Mr. Edison & Theo. Thomas" (E-2440-18). These titles and box numbers are listed together in the New York Public Library's "Edison white wax "Perfected" era cylinders, Nos. 1–22" and WFMU's "Thomas Edison's Attic" playlists, both of which are located as part of the August 14, 1888, press reception at Little Menlo.
August 17: Letter from Colonel Glaudel to Edison
This cylinder is said to have been recorded on August 17, 1888, in Little Menlo, London, by George Edward Gouraud (1842–1912), who dictated a message to Edison titled "Letter from Col. Gouraud to Mr. Edison, August 17, 1888." This cylinder is listed as part of the E-2440 series in the New York Public Library's "Edison white wax "Perfected" era cylinders, Nos. 1–22," alongside "Gouraud, August 14, Little Menlo" and "Phonograph talks with Mr. Edison." It is one of the few "non-musical" recordings from 1888 that clearly states the recording date as "August 17, 1888."
October 5: Little Menlo Dinner Toast Recordings
At the Little Menlo Dinner Party on the evening of October 5, 1888, with host George Edward Gouraud (1842–1912) as toastmaster, a series of speeches and toasts were recorded, including Postmaster General Cecil Raikes (1841–1896) in "Mr. Raikes, Postmaster General to Mr. Edison" (E-2439-08), A.M. Broadley and J.C. Parkinson in "Mr. Broadley and Mr. Parkinson to Mr. Edison" (E-2439-18), as well as several recordings of "After dinner toast at Little Menlo" (E-2439-07, 11, 13, 14) and "After dinner speech – Col. Gouraud – loud" (E-2439-16). Both Patrick Feaster's detailed analysis, "The Phonograph as Toastmaster (October 5, 1888)," and the WFMU playlist organize these cylinders as a series of recordings of the Little Menlo Dinner Party dated October 5, 1888, clearly identifying the date and scene.
December 18: Recording of William Gladstone's speech
On December 18, 1888, British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898) recorded a greeting to Edison, "The Phonograph's Salutation," on George Gouraud's phonograph in London. The recording, along with Gouraud's introductory message, was sent as "To Edison from Colonel Gouraud, introducing Mr. Gladstone." The National Park Service's "Documentary Recordings and Political Speeches" and the Project Gutenberg edition of the text clearly state that this recording was made on December 18, 1888, in London, England, making it the most reliably dated political speech recording from 1888.
Possibly recorded around 1888 (year and date of recording uncertain)
Here, primary sources and research papersPossibly recorded in 1888The audio sources are compiled here for reference. As there are various theories about the year and recording date, they are not included in the monthly pages or the number of songs per year (4 songs), but are treated separately as "candidates for around 1888."
Around the World on the Phonograph (Thomas A. Edison)
This is one of the oldest recordings of Thomas Edison's voice, a speech recorded in West Orange, New Jersey, USA, c. late October 1888.
A graphophone cylinder purportedly belonging to Queen Victoria (c. 1888)
A wax-coated graphophone cylinder housed at the Science Museum is said to be a recording from c. 1888, and contains a male voice speaking and whistling, as well as a brief female voice, which has been suggested to be Queen Victoria. While the recording is estimated to have been made around 1888, the exact date and identity of the speaker remain inconclusive, and it is considered appropriate to add this section as a topic concerning recording culture around 1888.
Henry Irving reading cylinder (Little Menlo, 1888)
The Library of Congress's "1888 London Cylinder Recordings of Col. George Gouraud" lists the 1888 London Cylinder recordings made at Little Menlo. A reading cylinder by actor Henry Irving (1838–1905) is stated to exist.
Detailed studies of the label transcription (such as JSTOR's "Browning's Edison Cylinder") report that the label reads, "Declamation / by / Henry Irving / 'Little Menlo' / August 30, 1888."Most likely recorded on August 30, 1888 It is thought that this is the case (however, the primary images have not been made public and the final date is still under investigation).
“Phonograph Talks with Mr. Edison” (George Edward Gouraud)
Research by Patrick Feaster and others, and Griffonage's essay "Edison's phonographic voice and the aural culture of imitation"A humorous monologue titled "Phonograph Talks with Mr. Edison" is mentioned as being recorded in 1888. The video features George Edward Gouraud (1842–1912) imitating Edison's voice as he explains the benefits of the phonograph.
In the NYPL's "Edison white wax "Perfected" era cylinders, Nos. 1–22," the E-2440 series also has the title "Phonograph talks with Mr. Edison," but the label does not appear to have a specific date.
Gruo's "phonogramic album" (c. 1888–1891)
The Gruaud "phonogramic album" (c. 1888–1891) is a collective term used to refer to the earliest wax cylinder recordings made by George Edward Gouraud (1842–1912) in London and other parts of Europe, as well as his concept of an album compiling "the voices of the world's greatest men." MOPM has organized related recordings from around 1888–1891 under this framework, and has posted a list of the recordings and background information on a dedicated page.
