Black Rock Desert, Gerlach, Nevada, USA; 4x5 Kodachrome

Description

This photograph appeared in the book, Portraits on the Playa: The Black Rock Desert, and it commemorates the birthday of the phonograph with DB trumpeting to the stars to "Remember the Magic - Happy Birthday to The Phonograph!"

Lincoln, Nebraska; 4x6 print

Description

This photograph (above-left) is a re-creation of the famous oil painting (below-left) by Massani in 1905. Edison used this piece (in this case as an advertising postcard) in literally hundreds of thousands of Edison Phonograph advertisements. The "actors" in the 1982 re-creation are Axel and Betty Boilesen who produced this dramatic portrait as an entry for the Friends of the Phonograph's annual birthday party. Massani's painting was titled "The Phonograph" but it is often called "The Old Couple."

Made by Kathy Aiken in Lincoln, Nebraska; 7x11

Description

This sampler was a 1981 artistic entry for the Friends of the Phonograph's annual birthday party. Besides the traditional alphabet, Kathy Aiken's sampler features the first four lines of the nursery rhymn "Mary Had a Little Lamb" which were the first words spoken by Edison's tin-foil Phonograph in December 1877. The bottom row of numbers has Thomas Alva Edison's initials TAE inserted between the 6 and 7.

Made by Bob Gross in Oakland, California; 8" Dia.

Description

This ceramic record was made by Bob Gross in 1989 to help celebrate the Phonograph's birthday. It features a Victor style "His Master's Voice" label with Nipper and the Gramophone, and a title of "Recorded Music 1948-9".

Made by Sheila O'Hara in Oakland, California; 3' x 4'

Description

This textile art by whimsical artist Sheila O'Hara (known for her warp sense of humor) was created in 1987 to celebrate the 110th birthday of the Phonograph. Sheila's layered weaving technique blends multiple colors by threading four sets of colors or warps all weaving at once. This creates a two-sided fabric, with one weft and one layer. Though the piece was commissioned to celebrate Edison's tin-foil invention, the talking machine displayed is Berliner's Gramophone performing the dual role of a searchlight and record player. The Victor dog "Nipper" speeds through the sky on a disc record. The rival Pathe Rooster flies by on another record.The Columbia Graphophone Company's logo "Note the Notes" is the other piece of phonographia.

Made by Venita Hawkins-Bird and friends in Ft. Collins, Colorado; 12x14

Description

This phonograph album was altered as a mixed media piece using a process called an Altered Book Round Robin. The project started with an old phonograph album and was sent to each participant to "create" their own page. Altered Books are a popular way to creatively share words and images and artistic expressions and this one, because of the phonographia element, found its way to this gallery. For more details about each page, click on any image.

Made by Susan Wacob and owned by Christine Webb, Ft. Collins, Colorado; 16" diameter

Description

This phonograph record was mailed from one artist to another with a note written on the reverse side. This is of a genre called 'Mail Art' where different objects are artistically altered and then sent through the mail, possibly back and forth, from one artist to another. As you can see from the post this record was mailed as you see it here. This phono mail was created by Susan Wacob and is owned by Christine Webb owner of The Artists' Nook in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Description

This collage, created by Bailey Nolder, Grade 6 at Zerger Elementary school, was selected for the Jeffco Elementary Art Show in 2006.