グルーオーの “phonogramic album”（1888–1891頃）

Gruo's "phonogramic album" (c. 1888–1891)

In 1888, American-born businessman George Edward Gouraud (1842–1912) traveled to London with an improved phonograph developed by Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931), and came up with the idea of systematically collecting recordings of famous people and musical performances, which he called the "phonogramic album."

This album, modeled after a photographic album, is understood to be a project aimed at preserving the voices of politicians, writers, musicians, war heroes, and others recorded between 1888 and 1890 as a "Library of Immortal Voices" and sending them to Edison.

This page lists recordings made by George Edward Gruau and his staff between 1888 and 1890 that can be verified through primary sources and reliable research, along with the current status of the recordings. Historically, there may have been many more recordings made, but those that cannot be verified at present are listed separately as documentary records.

The term "phonogramic album"“

At the time, the word "phonogram," in the context of Edison and Gruo, referred to a "letter with audio recorded on it, i.e., a recorded message," and was conceived as a new means of communication to be sent worldwide by mail. Jason Camlot (year of birth unknown) has conducted a detailed analysis of Edison documents and newspaper materials to show that, from around 1888, Gruo began collecting poems, greetings, testimonials, and other materials as "phonograms," and promoting these collections by comparing them to "albums" or "libraries."

The expression "phonogramic album" was Gruau's rhetoric to present the collection of audio recordings of famous people made in London as a collection similar to a photo album, and was later overlapped with the catchphrase "Library of Immortal Voices." Although actual physical "albums" were not systematically released, the term well illustrates the idea of a "package/series" at the time, in which the recordings made between 1888 and 1890 were considered as a set.

Recorded in 1888

1888 was the year that Gruau's "phonogramic album" concept was first realized, and the collection primarily consisted of demonstration recordings made in and around London. This section lists recordings currently available from primary sources, and will continue to expand as new information becomes available.

A phonogram of a message from Thomas Alva Edison to Gruau, circa June 1888

The greeting message recorded by Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931) in West Orange, New Jersey, was sent to Gruau and played repeatedly as the "first phonogram" during a demonstration in London. The cylinder in the BBC collection is reported to have a label similar to "First phonogram read in England / June 26 1888," and together with the date of the recording, June 16, 1888, this recording is considered to mark the beginning of the timeline of the "phonogramic album."

Genre/Format: Speech recording (inventor's own message/demo)

June 29, 1888 Choral recording of Handel's "Israel's Exodus from Egypt" (Crystal Palace)

Excerpts from a large-scale choral and orchestral performance of Handel's Israel in Egypt at Crystal Palace outside London were recorded on wax cylinders by the Grúo team. Often cited as "one of the earliest surviving recordings of a public musical performance," it represents a major musical event in the Grúo album project.

Genre/Format: Live music recording (choir/orchestra, sacred music)

Around August 1888, Arthur Sullivan's instrumental recording of The Lost Chord

The instrumental recording (for cornet and piano) of Arthur Sullivan's (1842–1900) song The Lost Chord was played repeatedly as a "demonstrator" for Gruaud's press conferences in London, and became a symbolic example of the possibilities of music recording. The recording itself is thought to have been made in the United States, but it was treated as a "signature piece" that Gruaud would almost always incorporate when conceiving an "album."

Genre/Format: Music recording (instrumental performance, demonstration)

August 30, 1888 Henry Irving read "Little Menlo"

Actor Henry Irving (1838–1905) recited lines from plays (probably passages from Shakespeare) into a phonograph during a recording session held at Gruo's home, Little Menlo. The label reads, "Declamation / by / Henry Irving / 'Little Menlo' / August 30, 1888," and this, along with the transfer still in the possession of the BBC, is considered an important part of the "phonogramic albums" of "the voices of famous actors" from London in 1888.

Genre/Format: Reading recording (lines read by an actor)

October 5, 1888 Arthur Sullivan's Toast at "Little Menlo"

On October 5, 1888, at a dinner party held at Gruo's home, Little Menlo, Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) recorded a congratulatory speech on a phonograph, expressing his gratitude to Edison and his hopes for the new technology. This recording features the musician's own "speaking voice," and has since been frequently cited as a typical example of the "artist's own voice" that Gruo envisioned as the album.

Genre/Format: Speech recording (congratulatory/recommendation message)

October 5, 1888 Toast for Henry Cecil Lakes and Edmund Hodgson Yeats (Little Menlo)

At the same dinner as Arthur Sullivan's speech, Postmaster General Henry Cecil Raikes (1838–1891) and journalist Edmund Hodgson Yates (1831–1894) delivered toasts to Edison, one greeting the other congratulating him. In the New York Public Library and discography archives, these toasts are organized as a series of cylinders alongside Sullivan's trucks, with titles such as "Mr. Raikes, Postmaster General to Mr. Edison" and "...Edmund Yates [address to Mr. Edison]."

Genre/Format: Speech recording (congratulatory/recommendation messages from politicians and journalists)

Message of Arthur Wellesley Peale (Speaker of the House of Commons) December 6, 1888

Arthur Wellesley Peel (1829–1912), Speaker of the House of Commons, recorded a short speech into Gruau's phonograph, which was included in the "phonogramic album" as the voice of "Speaker of the House of Commons." The BBC's holdings list lists the recording as being dated December 6, 1888, and contemporary biographies and recollections refer to Peel as "one of Gruau's earliest interviewees."

Genre/Format: Speech recording (greetings from congressional leaders)

Message by William Ewart Gladstone, December 18, 1888, "The Phonograph's Salutation"

The cylinder recording of a greeting message from British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898) to Edison is known as "The Phonograph's Salutation." Gruo himself introduces Gladstone to Edison at the beginning, followed by a short speech from the Prime Minister. It became a signature track among Gruo's phonogram albums, featuring the voice of political authority.

Genre/Format: Speech recording (political message/congratulatory speech)

Message from George William Frederick Charles, Duke of Cambridge, 22 December 1888

George William Frederick Charles, Duke of Cambridge (1819–1904), was the first member of the royal family to record his voice on a phonograph, thanks to arrangements made by Gruau. Cylinders remaining at the BBC are sometimes presented with labels such as "Voice of the Duke of Cambridge / London Dec. 22 1888," and as the first royal recording, they occupy a particularly symbolic position among phonogramic albums.

Genre/Format: Speech recording (royal greeting)

Recorded in 1889

The year 1889 was a time when the recordings of famous people that had begun in 1888 were further expanded to include the voices of intellectuals such as literary and religious figures. Among these, the recording of Robert Browning is closely linked to Gruo's album concept.

Message from Guy Rhodes to the Prince of Wales, 16 January 1889

The cylinder, credited to Guy Rose (date of birth and death unknown), is included in the BBC holdings list as "Message to Prince of Wales from Captain Rose" and is recorded on January 16, 1889. While the details of the content are unknown, it is a phonogram in the form of a congratulatory message and report addressed to the Prince of Wales, and is thought to have been part of a demonstration by Gruo to promote phonographs to the royal network.

Genre/Format: Speech recording (Message from a military officer to the Crown Prince)

Message from the Prince and Duchess of Wales and Lord Salisbury, 18 January 1889

The BBC's list also includes a cylinder containing a joint message to Edison from Albert Edward (1841–1910) and Alexandra (1844–1925), Prince and Princess of Wales, and Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil (1830–1903). This recording, dated January 18, 1889, clearly demonstrates the political and propaganda nature of the "phonogramic album," as it captures the voices of the top British politicians, the Prince and Princess, and the Prime Minister, on a single track.

Genre/Format: Speech recording (joint message by the Crown Prince and Princess and the Prime Minister)

April 7, 1889: Robert Browning reads "How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix"

The poet Robert Browning (1812–1889) recited his poem "How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix" into a phonograph at a dinner party at the home of painter Rudolf Lehmann. Browning even forgets part of the poem while recording, causing him to pause with a wry smile. This recording is often cited in literary studies as an example of the "self-awareness brought about by recording."
Gruau sent this cylinder to Edison along with recordings of other famous people, and it was included as part of a "phonogramic album" that also included the voices of literary figures. Members of the Browning Society later dedicated themselves to preserving and restoring the cylinder, which shows that even at the time it was considered a literary treasure.

Genre/Format: Reading recording (poetry reading, literary figures' voices)

Recorded in 1890

In 1890, Gruau's team planned a series of recordings centered around iconic figures from the Crimean War. In particular, a series of cylinders produced for the Light Brigade Relief Fund was often later described as a kind of "little album," and is considered to be one of the moments when Gruau's ideas took shape most concretely.

May 15, 1890 Alfred Lord Tennyson reading "The Charge of the Light Brigade"

At his home in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) recited his poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and recorded it on a phonograph operated by Charles Steytler (dates of birth and death unknown).
This reading is a fitting recording to be at the core of a “phonogrammic album” in the sense that it preserves this iconic poem of the Crimean War in the author’s own voice, and critics have subsequently treated it as an important case in discussing the relationship between war poetry and recording media.

Genre/Format: Reading recording (author reading of epic/war poem)

July 30, 1890 Message from Florence Nightingale (Light Brigade Relief Fund)

Nursing reformer Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) recorded a short message from her home in London for veterans of the Crimean War Light Brigade. The recording was made by Gruau's archivist, CR Johnstone (date of birth and death unknown), and Nightingale bestowed blessings on the veterans, saying she hoped her "work may continue after my death."
This cylinder is one of three charity recordings made for the Light Brigade Relief Fund, and is regarded as a prime example of a recording linked to social work among Gruau's "phonogrammic albums."

Genre/Format: Speech recording (charity appeal message)

August 2, 1890 Martin Lanfrey playing the bugle (Balaclava's assault bugle)

Martin Lanfried (1834–1902), a former bugler with the 17th Lancers, performed a re-enactment of the charge signal at Edison House in London using a bugle said to have been used at the Battle of Balaclava. These bugle recordings, along with those of Tennyson and Nightingale, are often introduced as part of the "Light Brigade Trilogy," and succinctly exemplify Groo's album-like concept of composing war memories through the different media of sound, voice, and instruments.

Genre/Format: Music recording (military music, trumpet performances, historical reenactments)

Recorded in 1891

In 1891, as an extension of Gruau's "Library of Immortal Voices" concept, a small number of recordings of religious authorities and practitioners (stenography reformers) were added. All of these are reported to have original cylinders in the BBC archives, and can be considered "later tracks" in the same lineage as the celebrity recordings from 1888–1890.

October 20, 1891: Isaac Pitman's recorded message (Edison House, London)

Shorthand reformer Isaac Pitman (1813–1897) is said to have recorded a message on a phonograph at Edison House in London on October 20, 1891, and a cylinder with this date is also listed in the BBC Archives. While the details of the content are unknown, the recording was often cited in later years as a symbol of the affinity between Edisonian shorthand and recording technology, and it enriches the field of the “phonogramic album” as a track that linked “voice and linguistic reform.”

Genre/Format: Speech recording (presumably a self-introduction/message by a shorthand reformer)

Message from Cardinal Henry Edward Manning to the Duke of Norfolk, 29 October 1891

Catholic Church leader Cardinal Henry Edward Manning (1808–1892) is said to have recorded a message on phonograph for the Duke of Norfolk (then Duke Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 1847–1917) on October 29, 1891. A summary by the Library of Congress also cites Manning's recording as one of "Gruau's signature recordings," and considers it an iconic track of "the immortal voice," as "the elderly cardinal, aware of his impending death, entrusted his voice to posterity."

Genre/Format: Speech recording (message/congratulatory speech by religious leaders)

Recordings related to the "phonogramic album" that are only available on recordings/unidentified audio sources

These are recordings that are mentioned in primary and reliable secondary sources, but the location of the actual cylinder or digital source cannot be confirmed.

1890 P.T. Barnum speech recording (Edison House, London)

Local documents and research notes repeatedly report that showman P.T. Barnum (Phineas Taylor Barnum, 1810–1891) recorded his own messages on a phonograph at Edison House in London in 1890. The Library of Congress's 1888 London cylinder article also states that "it is highly likely that Barnum recorded at Edison House in 1890," but according to research by the Antique Phonograph Society, the whereabouts of the original cylinder have not yet been confirmed, making this a classic example of "certain documentation, but the sound source has yet to be discovered."

Genre/Format: Speech recording (presumably a self-introduction/message by a showman)

October 12, 1890 Henry Morton Stanley and the Library of Voices

In a letter dated October 12, 1890, explorer Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904) stated that he would send Gruau a phonograph with a "Library of Voices," indicating his close ties with Gruau's "phonogramic album" project. A cylinder labeled "Henry M" in Edison's collection was once thought to contain Stanley's own voice, but subsequent reexamination determined this to be a misidentification, and no recording that "reliably conveys Stanley's voice" has yet been identified.

Genre/Form: Highly likely a recording, but no confirmed source (only letter material)

Late 1888-1890: Recordings of Jerome Napoleon and Mirza Malkam Khan (biographical testimonies)

Some biographical articles state that exiled figures such as Jérôme Napoléon (1822–1891) and diplomat Mirza Malkam Khan (1831–1908) recorded poetry recitations and greetings on phonographs at Gruau's invitation. One particularly frequently cited story is Mirza Malkam Khan reciting a passage from the Persian poet Hafez. However, no primary source label information or the location of any surviving cylinders has been confirmed for these recordings, so they are considered peripheral tracks related to Gruau, where "it is highly likely that recordings were made, but the actual recordings cannot be traced."

Genre/Format: Recitation/Speech recording (presumably a recitation/greeting by royalty or diplomats)

The historical significance of Gruo's "phonogramic album" (summary)

Gruo's "phonogramic album" was an early project in modern recording history that demonstrated the idea of systematically collecting the voices of famous people. In organizing a "set" of recordings of figures such as William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898), Robert Browning (1812–1889), Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), and Martin Lanfried (1834–1902), it can be seen as a precursor to later "historical recordings" and "celebrity voices." Furthermore, Gruo promoted the project with the catchphrase "Library of Immortal Voices," demonstrating their intention to treat the recordings not as mere technical demonstrations but as "cultural heritage to be preserved for future generations."

Correspondence between Edison and Gruau, as well as poetic texts such as "The Phonograph's Salutation" by Horatio Nelson Powers (1826–1890), show that from the early days of recording media, recordings were conceived in conjunction with "genres/forms," and are important reference points in both music history and media history.