Innovation and identities in the early European phonographic industry

Abstract

Initially dependent on American imports, European manufacturers soon replicated Columbia and Edison designs while incorporating distinctive national elements. The presentation highlights innovations by European inventors and the legal and patent challenges they encountered. It also explores how public uses of the phonograph shaped the emerging industry. Examining the rise of phonograph manufacturing in Europe around the turn of the twentieth century, the study shows how technical innovation, law, commercial competition, and cultural identity interacted in the development of the new medium.