Salem Museum Speaker Series: “Inexhaustible Amusement”
The Phonograph and Our Modern Entertainment
Before Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb, he developed another technology that we still use today: recorded sound! Celebrate Thomas Edison’s 175th birthday with the Salem Museum on Thursday, February 10 at 7pm. Join Garrett Channell, the Museum’s director of education and archives, as he explores the development of the phonograph and different early methods of recorded sound. This presentation will be on Zoom only. The link will be available on the Museum’s website, salemmuseum.org, on the morning of the event.
In 1877, Edison was experimenting with ways to record telephone conversations and realized this method could have a multitude of uses. Learn about the Edison Phonograph Company, the Columbia Phonograph Company, and the Victor Talking Machine Company, and how they shaped the way we consume music and other media today. The talk will trace the roots of modern technologies and ideas that can be found back in the “phonograph era” that Edison ushered in.
Garrett Channell is a new staff member at the Salem Museum. A 2020 graduate of Roanoke College, he studied history with a focus in public history. During his time at Roanoke, he volunteered extensively at the Museum in the archives and at events. He now works at the Museum to develop field trips, kid-centered exhibits, and programs for all ages.
The Salem Museum is currently closed for maintenance. The Museum anticipates reopening to the public on February 22, 2022.
