Template:POTD/2007-05-08
A portrait of Thomas Edison and his early phonograph from 1878. This was the invention that made him famous, giving him the moniker "The Wizard of Menlo Park". It was so unexpected by the public at large as to appear almost magical. His first phonograph recorded on tinfoil around a grooved cylinder and had poor sound quality, and the tinfoil recordings could only be replayed a few times.Photo credit: Levin Corbin Handy