Cylinder Phonograph: Edison Ambelora Model 50

Edison, U.S.A., 1913

In 1912, the Edison company introduced “Blue Amberol” recordings, cylinder records that could be played 3,000 times and were touted as “virtually indestructible” (playing time, 4 minutes). The cylinders consisted of a hard, thin celluloid tube on a plaster of paris core, and provided sound of quality that can be appreciated even today. Edison introduced his Amberola-series phonographs to play these records. From about this time, external horns started disappearing from phonographs as internal horns took their place.