The World of Pioneer Recording Artists

On the 21st of October 1889, Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, said in a recording that "the Phonograph makes it possible for a man who has already rested long in the grave once again to raise his voice and greet the present." He remains the only person born in the 18th century whose voice can still be heard. 

The phonograph industry boomed in the 1890s, yet many of these pioneers have been forgotten by time, their voices and music being relegated to the the era they once dominated. The Tench Collection aims to bring forward comprehensive biographies on each person, reporting who they were, in as much detail as possible. 

Relevant Pages

2026.01.001 - Wax Cylinder, "He's me Pal"

Header image: A Columbia Recording session, The Phonoscope (1898). Image sourced via Public Domain.

Every effort has been made to trace the original creators of archival media; where unknown, items are credited by era and source.