Phonographic cylinder
AKA
Wax cylinder, ediphone, dictaphone, graphophone
Era
1888–1929
Format
analog
Developed by
Thomas Edison
(Max) Capacity
2 minutes
Size
Various
Fun facts
- This format had several different material compositions: brown wax (metal soap), molded wax (metal soap), and Blue Amberol (celluloid)
- Early brown wax cylinders would commonly wear out after they were played only a few dozen times
- While this format was typically 2.25” in diameter and around 4.25” long, they could be smaller (1.33" in diameter) or larger (5" in diameter)
