The Development of Sound: Victorian America Through the 1930's
In Victorian America, having an instrument was a luxury. Only those with some amount of wealth were able to own an instrument such as a piano or organ, and leisure time was a necessity for learning how to play. Music in the home at this time was largely related to sophistication and status.
Things began to change with Thomas Edison's invention of the phonograph in 1877. As parlors became popular near the turn of the century, phonographs for home use began to develop. This invention gave those with less wealth a chance to appreciate the same music as the upper-class, even if they could not play an instrument. While wax cylinders were initially used to store recordings, the record supplanted it and became the mainstay. Americans bought 106 million records in 1921, spending more on this form of entertainment than any other.
After the camaraderie of the phonograph wore off, people started viewing them as an eyesore to their home decor. Image of self and home was very important in this time. The phonograph started being made as a piece of furniture that could be aesthetically pleasing when not in use.
In the 1920's, the radio displaced the phonograph as the 'music box' of choice. While only 11 percent of American homes had a radio in 1924, 81 percent owned one by 1940. Early radio was popular not only because you could receive messages, but because you could also transmit them. As laws came into place, the Radio Corporation of America and Westinghouse helped create a huge consumer market for radio programming. People imagined the radio was talking directly to them, giving it a personal feel in an increasing impersonal age. Popular radio programs included FDR's fireside chats, popular shows such as Amos n' Andy, and other programs such as baseball games, soap operas, and of course music. National radio broadcasting exposed Americans to the lifestyles of fellow countrymen living in different settings and environments all around the U.S. Records and radio fostered a national culture and paved the way for other communications technologies such as television and the internet.
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ReplyDeleteWell I like what you have wrote here. This is like exactly what we talked about in class. Even though you went a little further than we have gone in class; such as the time span I think this was a great topic. I love the pictures, they are one of my favorite parts of history. My favorite is the one in color because it gives you a general idea of what it looks like.
ReplyDeleteThis blog shows how the lower classes with the help of musical devises made them equal to the upper classes. Like he said in the earlier years only the wealthier consumers could enjoy the majority music in the home but with the invention of the Victrola then the radio help even out the gap between the upper and lower class.
ReplyDeleteThe interesting point of this article to me is that no matter the income level, or the position in society, communal entertainment and distractions are necessary. In the late 20th century, the television takes over this spot from radio, and now we have the internet on our Ipads or smart phones. I have a number of friends who have gone without new clothes or cut back on food so that they can afford the newest electronic gadget fad that exists. The customization is also interesting in that, just as radio customization was fairly cheap, I have friends who jailbreak every electronic they own to make it their own. The cultures of these communal entertainments are very fascinating in that they often touch all of us.
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