Music, Sound and Technology in America: A Documentary History of Early Phonograph, Cinema, and Radio

摘要

Media scholars, audiophiles, and cultural historians alike will enjoy this extremely well-researched snapshot of American society as it dealt with the introduction of astonishing new media technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Editors Timothy D. Taylor, Mark Katz, and Tony Grajeda have compiled a remarkable collection of articles, advertisements, and other documents that provide historical context to the immediate social and cultural impact of the phonograph, cinema, and radio. Focusing mostly on aspects of music as disseminated through these three technical wonders, the editors depict a nation struggling to understand changes in listening habits and debating the social value of audio technology. In many ways, such debates presaged commentaries on societal changes brought about by various media forms that followed.