February 2001
Cylinder of the Month


See also the  Cylinders of the Month Archive.

From 1899, good humor and big fun under the big top – At the Circus played by the Edison Symphony Orchestra.

At the Circus
Company Edison's National Phonograph Company
Cylinder # 664
Category Descriptive selection
Title At the Circus
Performed by Edison Symphony Orchestra
Circa 1899
Announcement "Descriptive selection, At the Circus, played by the Edison Symphony Orchestra."

It would have been great fun to be at this recording session.   In addition to the announcer, we are probably hearing members of the orchestra and perhaps a technician or two shouting and whooping it up.

To hear At the Circus  —

 
For help playing these sounds, click here.

If anyone can make out what the announcer, acting as the ringmaster is saying when he shouts "Hey, . . . ", please let me know; thank you!   [The concensus, to-date, seems to be he is shouting: "Hey . . . Over!"].

664   At the Circus. Edison
      A clever descriptive selection.   The ringmaster's voice is heard, the crack of the whip and the whoop halloos as the lady jumps through each paper hoop.   The horses hoofbeats and the cheers and shouts of the audience lend a very amusing reality to this fine Orchestra Record.
— October 1899 Edison Records Catalog

— This cylinder of the month is from the collection of  Bruce Stinchcomb —

                                       

To hear other examples of wax cylinders, see the