This permanent exhibition showcases the evolution of sound recording and playback technology, from the earliest phonographs and gramophones to modern vinyl records. Visitors can explore the pioneering achievements in audio technology through a collection of over 1,000 exhibits, many of which can be demonstrated.
The Phonomuseum's permanent exhibition, 'Edisons Erbe – als Maschinen sprechen lernten,' chronicles the fascinating journey of sound recording and playback technology from 1877 to the present day. Spread across nearly 400 square meters, the exhibition houses a collection of over 1,000 artifacts, including early phonographs, gramophones, radios, and mechanical music devices. Visitors can learn about the pioneering innovations of figures like Thomas Edison and Emil Berliner, witnessing firsthand the transition from wax cylinders to shellac discs and eventually to vinyl.
The main hall, 'Edisons Erbe,' specifically highlights the development of phonographs and gramophones from 1877 to 1939. It features significant items such as early tin foil phonographs, the Edison Class-M Phonograph (originally a dictaphone), and the Edison Peerless Motor Phonograph. The exhibition details the technical challenges and advancements, including the struggle to develop durable recording media and the invention of the gramophone with its pressable discs. It also traces the path through the development of shellac records and their eventual replacement by vinyl, and finally the digital age ushered in by the Compact Disc (CD).