The early history of recorded sound, Mr. Edison's most marvelous achievement, brimmed with graphic imagery †elegant, dazzling and delightful! Follow these award-winning authors on a bewitching tour of visual artifacts from the phonograph's first fifty years. There are colorful advertising placards, charming publicity posters, clever promotional giveaways, stunning catalog covers, and an astounding selection of gorgeous, hand-painted signs from rare coin-operated record machines. 500 full color illustrations and insightful captions will keep you turning the pages. An entire chapter is devoted to "real life" images of ordinary people interacting with the new technology †the amazing talking machine. Whether your interest is antique collecting, history, advertising, photography or social science, you will treasure this book.