Hello,
The article on (probably) the only sound recording relating to the Caning of Charles Sumner by Preston Brooks has been sent to the Printer's (for March publication). Astute students of history will recall that this infamous incident occurred in our esteemed Senate Chambers in 1856 which would normally place it beyond the reach of such technology.
But for reasons not exactly certain, Emile Berliner (or Frank Seaman) was open to such a speaker-induced topic by a celebrity of the day (in 1898), Rev. Byron Sunderland (who was himself connected to the original event). The ultimate irony is that, print-wise, we do not know of this unusual 7-inch record (#5013) from ANY Berliner advertisement, but only from a pirated edition of a single 'Wonder Talking Machine' catalog.
And thus it came to pass that a single example of the recording itself (in black rubber) surfaced, at approx 68 rpm.
The curious details, and some theorizing, comprise the bulk of the 6-pages (w/ illustrations) that will soon appear in "The Antique Phonograph."
Looking forward to readers' comments (and validation of the supporting transcript).
BestAllen
Allen Koenigsberg
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