News and journalism
The Future of the Phonograph (Chicago Tribune, 1 May 1878, reprinted by the Phonozoic Text Archive)
Chicago Tribune; Phonozoic Text Archive, Document 059, 1878
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- A May 1878 Chicago Tribune report on Thomas Edison's article about the phonograph in the North American Review. It describes the first use Edison proposed, a revolution in letter writing by dictation, and the claim that dictated business letters would let a firm dispense with the clerk.
- How much weight it carries
- A contemporary newspaper summary, not Edison's own text. It is useful for what the public read in 1878 about Edison's proposals. Check Edison's article for his exact words.
Facts taken from this source
- A May 1878 Chicago Tribune report of Edison's article said that phonograph dictation would let business people dispense with the clerk.
“they are required to do no more by the phonographic method, and do thereby dispense with the clerk” (Report on the North American Review article)