The talkies (1930)

l6 THETALKIES objects and the sounds produced by them ... so that the impressions of the movements would be recorded simultaneously with the impression of the sound waves and will be reproduced simultaneously and in exact synchronism with them. Here was the general idea, but as we read on we see that both the remote sound-recording camera, which we shall read about later, and the idea of the picture film with the sound-record printed along its edge, are clearly mentioned. Not only that, but the two methods of photographing sound are specified. Nothing, in fact, is left out which really matters. We transmit the sound waves electrically from the place where the sounds originate to the place where we desire to have them recorded, and we record them photographically in varying degrees as to area, quantity, intensity and corresponding effect of light and shade proportioned to their period and amplitude, simultaneously with the recording photographically of the impressions or photographs of the successive movements of the objects, on separate parts or in separate positions of one or the same transparent medium or recording substance of material. . . . When such record is obtained we reproduce it by causing light to pass through that portion of the medium containing the record of the impressions and so project them on the screen, simultaneously causing light to pass through that portion of the medium containing the record of the sound-waves to a cell of selenium or other suitable substance by which the varying degrees of light and shade of the record are converted into correspondingly varying