Edison Records
Thomas A. Edison invented the phonograph, the first device for recording and playing back sound, in 1877. After patenting the invention and benefiting from the publicity and acclaim it received, Edison and his laboratory turned their attention to the commercial development of electric lighting, playing no further role in the development of the phonograph for nearly a decade. Edison's original phonograph recorded on sheets of tinfoil and was little more than a crude curiosity, although one that fascinated much of the public. These earliest phonographs were sold mainly to entrepreneurs who made a living out of traveling around the country giving "educational" lectures in hired halls or otherwise demonstrating the device to audiences for a fee. The tinfoil phonograph was not fit for any real practical use and public interest soon waned.
Norman C. Pickering
His most famous invention came in 1945 when Pickering, frustrated with the acoustical limitations of sound reproduction from phonograph records, developed a pickup (a device which translates the vibrations of the needle into electrical impulses for amplification) which reduced record wear and significantly increased the accuracy of the sounds coming through the speaker. Pickering felt that phonograph records recorded sound at reasonable levels of fidelity, but that the reproduction standards were not acceptable. Listening to the results from his new device, Pickering felt that the improvement in sound "wasn't just a little, it was magnificent." Further development resulted in the Pickering cartridge. Pickering showed Sumner Hall, who had recorded the Sperry Symphony at a Carnegie Hall concert, some prototypes of his pickup. Hall encouraged development, and Pickering & Co was started in November 1945. Initially the Pickering apparatus was only marketed for professional use in recording studios and radio stations, but by 1947 it became clear that there was potential in the consumer market. Pickering made his designs for 78rpm records, and the 1948 introduction of the LP record caught him off-guard. As a result, he had to completely re-work his design.