Browse Items (77 total)

An image of famed soprano Jeanne in costume as her character in La Walkyrie.

The 1889 Exposition Universelle (World Fair) prominently showcased several exciting new technologies, among them the théâtrophone. For a small fee, fair-goers could use this new technology to listen to a few minutes of a live operatic performance at…

Female telephone operator, 1911. Photo copyrighted by the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, which was founded by Alexander Graham Bell and his father. This company is later absorbed by American Bell and subsequently, American Telephone &…

Public perception of the function of a Theatrophone and it's many features.

These locations would function as transmission centers for Théâtrophone subscriptions to its patrons. There would have also been coin-operated receivers placed in hotels and cafés that would charge 50 centimes for 5 minutes of listening. Subscription…

Woman listening to theâtrophone at home. Part of lithograph series titled "The End of Books".

"Into this switchboard pass the trunk lines from theatres and from it pass out the lines from which carry the music to the many subscribers"

Creator, Jules Cheret, was a French Poster illustrator and Graphic Designer nicknamed "father of the modern poster". He is also known as the "father of womens liberation" for his portrayal of free and happy women in his posters. Worked directly onto…

Drawing of the public listening area for Ader's telephone system at the 1881 Exhibition de l'Électricité. Listeners gather at individual listening stations placed along the walls. The sound was then listened to through 2 "transducteurs" that were…