History Blog About the History Blog Search History on the Web Search The History Store

History Blog

Insight into History - A Weekly Instrospective Into The Past
Find Entries

Archive for the ‘Personalities in History’ Category

19
Nov

History of the Phonograph

   Posted by: Mike Tags: 1857, 1877, 1886, 1889, Charles Cros, Charles Tainter, Compact Discs, Crosley CR73-3 Cherry Record Player, Crosley Radio CR711 AutoRama Record Player - Black, Crosley Radio CR712 AutoRama - Brushed Chrome, Crosley Radio CR85 Varsity Stack-O-Matic - Walnut, Crosley Radio Store, digital media, Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville, Emile Berliner, Graphophone, history of the phonograph, jukebox, MP3 players, Phonautograph, phonograph, record players, thomas edison

History of the Phonograph: Thomas Edison's PhonographMost of us are familiar with record players even though MP3 players, Compact Discs, and other digital media are the current popular technologies. Record players and their vinyl discs are making a comeback and is a nostalgic item for those of us old enough to remember when they were the best way to have music other than the radio. The phonograph is not a new technology but the history and development of it is fascinating. The first device built to record sound waves was invented in 1857 by Frenchman Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville. It could record the sound waves onto a medium but it had no way to play back the sound. It is known as a Phonautograph but was not a practical device since the sounds could not be reproduced. A French scientist, Charles Cros, developed a theory of phonograph operation but he never produced a functional device and his theory was published in December 1877 after Thomas Edison had a working model. It appears that both men developed their ideas independently.

Edison worked on his ideas between May and November of 1877 but he was not trying to create records, he was working on a way to “play back” recorded telegraph messages. In November 1877 he formally announced and demonstrated his phonograph which was a way to record and play back sounds. His initial recordings do not resemble anything we are familiar with as records. Edison used a cylinder covered in tinfoil and the motion of a stylus to make groves in the foil. Edison’s patents show understanding that a disc could be used to record the sounds but he concentrated on the cylinders since there speed was constant.

History of the Phonograph: Thomas Edison and his early phonograph.In 1886, Cichester Bell and Charles Tainter patented the Graphophone which used wax coated vertical cylinders to record and produce the sounds. These cylinders used a different way of recording and playback. Edison’s devices were patented specifying an embossed technique which produced a three dimensional image on the medium. The Bell and Tainter device was called the Graphophone and used engraving which cuts grooves into the surface. Then in 1887, Emile Berliner developed the Gramophone which used a wax and zinc coated disc that recorded the motion of the stylus. An acid bath firmed the groove the stylus had created and removed any excess material so the recording could be played back.

1889 saw the first Phonograph Parlor in San Francisco where patrons would request a musical selection for a nickel and it would be played through a tube that was connected to the music cylinders in a separate room. These salons became very popular and are an early form of what we know as a jukebox since the patrons paid money for a specific piece of music to play. Many cities in America had at least one of these music parlors and the manufacturers of the cylinders began attempting to mass produce their products in the 1890s. The live music would create the initial recording while a few cylinders were connected to other phonographs. This technology sped up the process of creating the recordings since they no longer had to be individually hand created. As the technology improved, so did the methods of recording and production since the demand for certain artists increased.

Record players are a nostalgic item of a bygone era for many but there are a lot of people who are devoted to the phonograph’s audio quality as superior to any of the current popular technology. Regardless of which technology we personally prefer the importance of the record player and its rich history cannot be stressed enough.


Crosley Radio Store
Crosley CR73-3 Cherry Record Player Crosley CR73-3 Cherry Record Player
Crosley Radio CR85 Varsity Stack-O-Matic - Walnut Crosley Radio CR85 Varsity Stack-O-Matic - Walnut
Crosley Radio CR711 AutoRama Record Player - Black Crosley Radio CR711 AutoRama Record Player - Black
Crosley Radio CR712 AutoRama - Brushed Chrome Crosley Radio CR712 AutoRama - Brushed Chrome
History Collectors: We offer a wide selection of museum quality replicas and authentic items representing nearly every century of the Common Era and the most significant civilizations of ancient history. Once you browse through our online catalogue, we are certain you’ll find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one with an interest in history.
No Comments
17
Nov

Mr. Adams Goes to Washington

   Posted by: Trish Tags: 1735, 1774, 1780, 1796, 1797, 1800, 1801, 1826, Adams, American Independence, American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin, Boston Massacre, Constiution, Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, Franklin, George Washington, History DVDs, History Store, Jefferson, John Adams, July 4th, November 17th, replica guns, Replica Swords, scale model kits, Thomas Jefferson, Washington, Whig Party

John Adams: 2nd President of the United States of AmericaNovember 17, 1800 the United States Congress and then president John Adams move the United States government from the comfort of Philadelphia to the hardly finished and rather rough quarters in Washington D.C. Adams would become the first American president to live in the White House.

John Adams was the vice president under the country’s founding father, George Washington. He became the country’s second president in 1796 when Washington declined a second term. Adams served from 1797 to 1801. Born in October of 1735, Adams early life was blessed in comparison to many Americans.

Graduating from Harvard at age 20, Adams was destined for life as a lawyer but he was better with a pen than any legal text. He enjoyed writing about current events and observing the world around him. He was a serious student of the world. Many described him as Washington’s perfect foil and a contrast to the first president’s outgoing personality.

Adam’s political life began before the American Revolution when he provided legal defense to British soldiers after the Boston Massacre. He was the leader of the Whig party and elected into the Massachusetts house in 1774 when he became a member of the famed Continental Congress. Adams believed in a democratic nation governed by the laws of its citizens.

Congress Voting Independence, a depiction of the Second Continental Congress voting on the United States Declaration of IndependenceAdams’ love of country and ardent desire to separate from Great Britain made him the ideal candidate to join Jefferson and Franklin on the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence. Finally Adams’ skill as a writer would find a use. A great use in fact.

He would also be involved in creating the Massachusetts constitution in 1780.

Adams did run for the job as America’s first president but was beaten squarely by Washington. The rules of the election back then dictated he would become the first vice president instead. He must have done a good job to be voted president during the next election.

Adams’ presidency was not a happy one. The party suffered from internal problems and Adams was not treated as a president should be by his own constituents. He left office disappointed with the way things had gone and did not try for a second term.

Interestingly, Adams passed away 50 years after the signing of the declaration in July 4, 1826. He believed that at least Thomas Jefferson survived from the original founders of American independence. He did not know that Jefferson had died a few hours before himself. Adams’ last words were “Thomas Jefferson still survives.”

Adams’ is a mixed legacy, one full of famous firsts and the legacy of freedom marred with the internal division of his party.

History Store
History DVDs History DVDs
Replica Guns Replica Guns
Replica Swords Replica Swords
Scale Model Kits Scale Model Kits
History Collectors: We offer a wide selection of museum quality replicas and authentic items representing nearly every century of the Common Era and the most significant civilizations of ancient history. Once you browse through our online catalogue, we are certain you’ll find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one with an interest in history.
No Comments
16
Nov

Heroes & Ballyhoo: How the Golden Age of the 1920s Transformed American Sports

   Posted by: Administrator Tags: 1919, 1920s, 1930, Add new tag, American Golden Age, American sports entertainment industry, Babe Ruth, ballyhoo, bathtub gin, Bill Tilden, Bobby Jones, C. C. Pyle, Christy Walsh, Damon Runyon, era of wonderful nonsense, field of dreams, Flanders Fields, Gertrude Ederle, Grantland Rice, Helen Wills, heroes, History DVDs, History Store, Jack Dempsey, jazz, Johnny Weissmuller, Knute Rockne, over the top journalism, P. T. Barnum, post World War I, Red Grange, replica guns, Replica Swords, Roaring Twenties, scale model kits, sports heroes, star atheletes, Tex Rickard, the golden age of sports, Victorian traditions, Walter Hagen, world war i

Heroes & Ballyhoo: How the Golden Age of the 1920s Transformed American SportsHEROES & BALLYHOO tells the story of the creation of America’s sports entertainment industry during the period of 1919-1930. The star athletes, over-the-top journalists, and cagey PR men had an extraordinary impact on the country, profoundly changing individual sports, establishing the secular religion of sports and sports heroes, and helping bond disparate social and regional sectors of the country. Sports became a cornerstone of modern American life in the Golden Age.

Freed from the agonies of World War I, Americans eagerly bounded into the “era of wonderful nonsense” — the Roaring Twenties. They threw off Victorian traditions and rural ways, and sought everything modern, from bobbed hair, bathtub gin, jazz, Model Ts, movies and radio to fads of all kinds. Moreover, the war-weary public embraced the drama and excitement of sports and its star athletes, in search of heroes not from the fields of Flanders, but from a field of dreams.

HEROES & BALLYHOO salutes the ten most prominent Golden Age heroes and relates their effect on sports and society. Babe Ruth, America’s greatest sports hero, leads the way, followed by boxer Jack Dempsey, college football’s Red Grange and Knute Rockne, tennis players Bill Tilden and Helen Wills, golfers Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones, and swimmers Johnny Weissmuller and Gertrude Ederle.

The book also celebrates the ballyhoo artists—sportswriters, promoters, and press agents—who hyped the stars to a receptive public. Reporters Grantland Rice and Damon Runyon set the pace for the press; promoters C. C. Pyle and Tex Rickard put P. T. Barnum to shame; and Babe Ruth’s press agent, Christy Walsh, founded the sports marketing business.

BALLYHOO (bal-ee-hoo), n.: loud, exaggerated, or sensational advertising or promotion.
BALLYHOOING, v.:to publicize noisily. First seen in the mainstream press around 1910, the
term’s usage peaked in the 1920s. Originally associated with carnival barkers.

For more information, please visit the publication’s official website:

website: http://www.bohnbooks.com/

History Collectors: We offer a wide selection of museum quality replicas and authentic items representing nearly every century of the Common Era and the most significant civilizations of ancient history. Once you browse through our online catalogue, we are certain you’ll find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one with an interest in history.
History Store
History DVDs History DVDs
Replica Guns Replica Guns
Replica Swords Replica Swords
Scale Model Kits Scale Model Kits
No Comments
3
Nov

Annie Oakley: American Woman and Marksman

   Posted by: Trish Tags: 1860, 1876, 1880s, 1885, 1920s, 1924, 1926, America's Cowgirl, American History, American West, Annie Oakley, August 13, Buffalo Bill, expert marksman, Frank Butler, History DVDs, Little Sure Shot, November 3, Old West Store, Phoebe Ann Oakley Mozee, Queen Victoria, replica guns, Replica Swords, scale model kits, Sitting Bull, Vaudeville, wild west, Wild West Show, world war i

Annie Oakley: second half of the 1880's poster for Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, advertising 'Miss Annie Oakley, the peerless lady wing-shot'Annie Oakley died on November 3, 1924 from pernicious anemia. Her life is a testament to the strength and determination of American frontierswomen. Skilled with weapons and equal to many of her male counterparts, Annie Oakley remains an integral part of western history.

Born in Ohio on August 13, 1860, Annie’s given name was Phoebe Ann Oakley Mozee. She had a total of seven siblings and came from a childhood of economic hardship and parental death. She never received any sort of a formal education. When her mother lost her second husband, Annie was put into care for a while but suffered abuse and was returned to her mother who married for a third time. Oakley’s childhood made her tough and resilient and perhaps a bit of a loner.

Oakley was an expert marksman from a very early age and started practicing her shooting skills at the tender age of 9. At the age of 16, she was already receiving money for her shooting games and entered her first professional competition against her husband to be Frank Butler (1850-1926). They married in 1876.

In the early 1880s, Oakley traveled with her husband on the Vaudeville circuit, performing shooting feats and contests for a paying audience. They went across the country together where Oakley got to meet many famous people of the day, including Sitting Bull who she became friends with. Sitting Bull gave Annie Oakley the nickname of “Little Sure Shot.” Her skills as a marksmen were never questioned by man or woman, rich or poor, townsfolk or royal. Her place in history was quickly secured.

Annie Oakley, with a gun Buffalo Bill gave her - 1922It was in 1885 that the star crossed (or rifle crossed) couple joined the famous Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. Butler stepped aside so that his wife could become the female star of the Wild West show. They traveled all over Europe and even performed for Queen Victoria. Oakley won numerous medals and awards for her skills. They stayed with the show for 16 years. Even in her own time, Oakley was considered a role model for other women from both the States and the rest of the world.

Despite offering to lead a female regimen in World War I, Oakley ended up spending her time with the Red Cross during the war and spending time for her famous show dog, Dave. A comeback was planned for the early 1920s but a car accident put both Butlers out of commission for some time.

Oakley and Butler stayed together until the very end passing away within three weeks of each other in November of 1926. Their story is truly endearing and inspirational and Annie Oakley will forever be remembered as America’s cowgirl. Her role in the perception of women and creating the wild stories of the American west will endure long after the last remnants of western boomtowns crumble and disappear.


Old West Store
History DVDs History DVDs
Replica Guns Replica Guns
Replica Swords Replica Swords
Scale Model Kits Scale Model Kits
History Collectors: We offer a wide selection of museum quality replicas and authentic items representing nearly every century of the Common Era and the most significant civilizations of ancient history. Once you browse through our online catalogue, we are certain you’ll find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one with an interest in history.
No Comments
29
Oct

History of Conan the Barbarian

   Posted by: Mike Tags: 1932, 1936, American fiction, Ballantine publishing, Conan, Conan the Barbarian, History DVDs, History Store, L. Sprague De Camp, Lin Carter, Plutarch, pulp fiction, replica guns, Replica Swords, Robert E. Howard, scale model kits, sword and sorcery genre, Thomas Bulfinch, Wandering Star, Weird Tales magazine

History of ConanThere are many characters in our society we are familiar with whether from books and comic books or television and movies. One of the characters we know from a variety of media is Conan the Barbarian but little is known about how he came into being.  Conan is a character from the sword and sorcery genre created by a writer from Texas named Robert E. Howard in 1932. Howard’s Conan stories began as a series of articles submitted to the fantasy magazine Weird Tales. Howard’s influences ranged from the Greek writer Plutarch to the mythology works of Thomas Bulfinch.  Howard wrote many more Conan stories over the next 4 year completing 21 stories.

Robert E. Howard committed suicide in 1936 after a combination of depression and the unrecoverable coma his mother entered (she died the day after Howard committed suicide).  In the years after Howard’s death the Conan copyright changed hands several times and eventually wound up in the hands of L. Sprague De Camp and Lin Carter. They revised the Howard stories and sometimes rewrote them.

This is a very well-known photograph of Robert E. Howard taken in 1934. According to his then-girlfriend Novalyne Price, he hated wearing a suit, tie, and hat, yet he went to a studio and had several photographs taken because she liked it when he dressed up. It's ironic that a photo he may have admired least has become the Definitive Image of the author.Conan books have been written and published by various different authors over the last 50 years, many of them trying to imitate the style of Robert E. Howard. The original Conan stories written by Howard were allowed to go out of print and were unavailable in their original form. In 2003 the original Howard stories were collected and printed by British Publisher Wandering Star and were republished in the U.S. by Ballantine. These volumes included Howard’s original stories but expanded on them by offering his notes and letters on the setting and for the world of Conan which provided a more complete look at the history of Howard’s ideas and the genesis of the character. Regardless of the history of the character the books, comic books, and the movies of the 80s have kept the Conan character alive and well in the imagination of society since he was first put into print in the 1930s by Robert E. Howard.


History Store
History DVDs History DVDs
Replica Guns Replica Guns
Replica Swords Replica Swords
Scale Model Kits Scale Model Kits
History Collectors: We offer a wide selection of museum quality replicas and authentic items representing nearly every century of the Common Era and the most significant civilizations of ancient history. Once you browse through our online catalogue, we are certain you’ll find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one with an interest in history.
No Comments
Back to top
Previous Entries

 

November 2009
S M T W T F S
« Oct    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  

History of Your DNA!

Discover the History of Your DNA!

Archives

  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008

History Links

  • American History Store
  • Ancient Egypt Store
  • Ancient Greek Store
  • Ancient History Store
  • Ancient Roman Store
  • Civil War Store
  • Colonial Store
  • History Store
  • Medieval Store
  • Museum Store
  • Pirate Store
  • Renaissance Store
  • Replica Guns
  • Replica Swords
Email Subscription

Your email address:

Subscription Options

 RSS Reader
Add to Google Reader or HomepageSubscribe in NewsGator OnlineSubscribe in BloglinesAdd to Pageflakes Receive IM, Email or Mobile alerts when new content is published on this site.
 Facebook

Historical Interest?
View Results

RSS History Blog

  • History of the Phonograph
  • Mr. Adams Goes to Washington
  • Heroes & Ballyhoo: How the Golden Age of the 1920s Transformed American Sports
  • The Imperial Cult in the Latin East and West
  • History of Orthodontic Braces

History Blog Sponsorship

Help keep the History Blog current. Suggest a history article or submit a small donation to help us continuously improve the historical content and features on the History Blog.

Categories

  • African History
  • Ancient History
  • Colonial History
  • Cultural History
    • Literary History
  • English History
  • Fashion History
  • French History
  • Historic Battles
  • Historical Events
  • Historical Ships
  • History Blog
  • History of England
  • History Today
  • Holiday History
  • Medieval History
  • Middle Eastern History
  • Modern History
    • Pop Culture History
  • mythology
  • Personalities in History
  • Philosophy
  • Prehistory
  • Religious History
  • Sports History
  • Technology History
    • Medical Technology
    • Military Technology
  • The Cold War
  • The Industrial Revolution
  • The Maya
  • The Renaissance
  • World History
    • American History
    • American War of Independence
    • Ancient China
    • Ancient Egypt
    • Ancient Greece
    • Ancient Rome
    • Ancient World
    • Central American History
    • European History
    • Latin American History
    • Military History
    • Native American History
    • Pirate History
    • Precolumbian History
    • South American History
    • The Aztecs
    • The French Revolution
    • The Incas
    • The Napoleonic Era
    • The Old West
    • U.S. Civil War
    • World War I
    • World War II
Copyright © 2008 - History Blog - is proudly powered by WordPress
Valid XHTML & CSS