Music, Sound, and Technology in America

This anthology of primary documents collects material from the end of the 19th century up through World War II on the material history of sound technologies and music in America. The book is divided into three sections: on the phonograph, sound in the cinema (including musical accompaniment), and music on radio. Each section includes advertisements, articles from the popular and trade press, and other documents and primary materials, including some amusing and surprising selections. There is an introduction to each section, and a general introduction that urges readers to attend to what the selections say through their implied assumptions and audience.