By Doug Boilesen, December
7, 2024
December 6, 2024 was
the anniversary of the invention of the Phonograph, known to Friends
of the Phonograph as its 147th Birthday.
December 6, 2024
in our new home in Castle Rock.
The traditional FOTP
birthday party hosted by us did not happen this year so all members
enjoyed their own celebrations, near and far.
Our December 6th party,
therefore, was Sharon, myself and Gracie, our wire fox terrier.
With a candle in a French chocolate macaron on a Walker's shortbread
disc-like cookie, I began the morning by raising a cup of coffee
in my Friends of the Phonograph mug and made a birthday
wish of "good health, joy, and many adventures" for
all my phonograph and recorded-music-loving friends.
We ended the day still
celebrating with ice cream and a slice of raspberry oat bar. Next
year it will probably be Hickory Nut Cake from a recipe of Edison's
wife Mina, which was described in a 1903
letter as being one of Edison's favorites. Other Edison favorites
and good birthday party options are apple pie and baked apple
dumplings.
My annual email to
Friends of the Phonograph and Old West Antique Phonograph
Society members was a reminder that the red-letter day had
arrived and included a link
to Phonographia's On This Day to help refresh some
history for those who might not think about the phonograph everyday.
Emails, however, are
"old-school" to Generation
Z's and Alphas so I've decided to include text messages next
year. In a perfect world everyone would already have the Phonograph's
Birthday on their calendars. For that to happen it needs to be
a National Holiday; or the United Nations, which celebrates March
20th as the International Day of Happiness, could globally add
December 6th as the day to celebrate recorded sound which has
brought so much happiness around the world.
December 6th is a day
worth celebrating: Ephemeral sound has never been the same and
"It's a Revolution Still Turning."©
Happy 147th Birthday
from Friends of the Phonograph everywhere!
Boulder, Colorado
Bowls
of ice cream celebrate the Phonograph's Birthday in Boulder.
Chico, California
Photographer and author
Douglas Keister and Wendy Shaw. DK is displaying an LP and its
album cover which he photographed in 1982. Wendy holds her phonograph
creation honoring the day.
Castle Rock, Colorado
