Blast from the Past: World's Oldest Voice Recording

Photo found at JeffBots

I wrote at least five variations of the same term paper on Thomas Edison (appropriately changed for advancing grades), so this story is both cool and a bummer. A bummer because it makes Edison the second person to make a recording, which is not something one usually aspires too. But it's still OK, because he likely never heard of this other guy, and Edison was still the first to record and play back sound. So no need to re-revise that paper! Whew.

[Excerpt]

U.S. experts find oldest voice recording, from 1860

U.S. audio historians have discovered and played back a French inventor's historic 1860 recording of a folk song -- the oldest-known audio recording -- made 17 years before Thomas Edison invented the phonograph.

"It's magic," audio historian David Giovannoni said on Thursday. "It's like a ghost singing to you. . ."

Read more at: Reuters