The phonograph was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison and was the first device to be able to both record sound and play that sound back. Originally, the sound was transcribed onto a tinfoil sheet phonograph cylinder, which would then be able to reproduce the sound when played back. In the 1890s, Emilie Berliner introduced the flat disc record that we are familiar with today.
From the 1980s onward, phonograph use declined sharply due to the invention of CDs.
This mahogany wooden cabinet contains both a phonograph and a short-wave radio receiver. It was produced by Stromberg Carlson and purchased in Vancouver in 1950 by the Haney’s. The bottom two doors on the cabinet are covered with mesh to look like speakers and provided storage for records.
