Most 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.
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.
November 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.
Adams’ 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.
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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. | |||||||||||
HEROES & 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.
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.
It was in 1885 that the star crossed (or rifle crossed) couple joined the famous Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. 
There 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. 
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. 
