The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1916)

44 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD At $15, at $50, at $100, at $200— and all the way between and beyond — there is a Columbia Grafonola to fill the wants of any possible owner of a talking machine. (Write for "Music Money," a book "fall of meat" for those dealers interested in quick and frequent turnover of capital.) Columbia Graphophone Co Woolworth Building, New York THE TALKING MACHINE'S RIVAL If Recent Experiments Work Out Successfully Future Generations May Get All the Music They Require from an Electric Bulb A recent issue of the Editor and Publisher, commenting on some experiments which have been made to convert light waves into sound waves, heads the story with the following couplet : When every little twinkling light Shall sing a different tune, I fear we'll lie awake at night — Then sleep till almost noon, and goes on to say : "The other day a mechanical wizard fabricated an electric light bulb from whose tongue of fire he succeeded in making audible waves of sound to issue. The gulf hitherto existing between acoustics and optics was bridged and the two philosophies joined hands to take a synthetical place among the world's marvels. "The achievement was at the time heralded far and wide with scare headings, but in reality the thing still rests in the experimental stage, which accounts for our not having heard anything more about it for many weary months and years. "The magnificent possibilities that lurk in this marvel are, however, simply staggering. When they shall have passed the research period and emerge from their present dormancy to enter into the commercial application that awaits them, the imagination halts in its contemplation of what can be done with the partnership of sound and light. "If the light of the sun can be converted into collateral sound — but what's the use? "In a minor key there is a large field for the conversion in the .Tungsten filaments and in the flaming arc. "If to the dazzling light of the modern electric signs, now so attractive to our rural visitors as well as to the natives of our great city, shall be added the resonance of sound, the result will, in many ways, be typical of a healthy boiler factory. " 'Shriekin' will only faintly describe the ultimate condition of things in the new dispensation. "We may indeed confidently look for an early application of the future developments of the marriage of sound with light in the advertising field that is so sensitive to the enlargement of publicity as a tillable field.i "When the flood of light that streams from theatrical fronts and vaudevillian houses shall take on the speaking voice the megaphone shall hide its head in very shame and dire confusion. The sound of the human barker, for obvious reasons, will no longer be heard in the land. "Color music will then come into its own and optical sonatas and light songs and words will have their day. "The society for the suppression of useless noises will necessarily take on a new lease of life and there will be many sighs for the good old days that now seem so unbearable when light and sound were separate entities. "There is something exceedingly fascinating about talking light, but before -inconsiderately embracing it let us take a leaf out of the railroad book and 'stop, look and listen.' " HOW HE ARRANGED IT "Well, Ma," said Bobby, judicially, "I washed the one that would be next to her." "Bobby." inquired the mother, "did you wash your face and hands before the music teacher came?" "Yes'm." "And your ears?" B. H. Buelow, formerly manager of the Edison department in the store of C. Niss & Sons, Milwaukee, Wis., is now connected with the Edison Shop, that city. Warning Notice Our attention having been called to attempts on the part of unscrupulous concerns to appropriate many of the special features of Unico Demonstrating Rooms We hereby give notice that all of the novel and special features of The Unico System As to both construction and design, are thoroughly protected by LETTERS PATENT already granted, and pending applications. The manufacture, use or sale of construction embodying the patented features of THE UNICO SYSTEM are equally infringements and anyone invading the rights secured to us under our letters patent will be vigorously prosecuted. The Unit Construction Company 121-131 South 31st Street Philadelphia, U. S. A.