Phonorama, le site dédié aux phonographes à cylindres

Two years ago, when in Paris, I was invited to visit Julien Anton to see his wonderful phonograph collection. He told me that he had just finished a biography of Henri Lioret, and was looking for a publisher. Last week, my late Winter cold was brightened by the arrival of a package containing this wonderful book.

For the connoisseur of things phonographic this book is a delight - 232 pages with 200 illustrations - and with a separate English translation by Mark Yates, it is a must for the serious researcher and collector alike.
Julien has divided the story into two parts :

• Part one, 'A taste for invention', traces the history of Lioret's life as a watch and clock maker, inventor and manufacturer;
• Part two, 'Phonographs and Cylinders,' lists and annotates his machines and types of cylinder

All is excellently illustrated with photographs and sketches, many published for the first time. Very few of us will ever own a Lioret Phonograph, and many may never see one. However, this book shows the delights of his machines and places Henri Lioret in his rightful place in the history of Talking Machines.
A limited edition of 500 has been printed, and the CLPGS Bookshop will have a small stock.

Richard E. Taylor                 

Henri Lioret was a pioneer in the manufacture of talking machines, and the recording of sound beginning in the 1890s. He was responsible for some of the most sophisticated technology available at the turn of the 20th century. The story of his life and accomplishments is fascinating and edifying. Everyone interested in the earliest epoch of recorded sound should have a copy of this extraordinary volume.

Collector Julien Anton spent many years preparing this awesome work. In its 231 pages are hundreds of color photos, and mountains of never-before-revealed information. Julien has been a good friend for years, and even though we had the bad luck to be importing copies of his wonderful book as the dollar fell precipitately against the Euro, meaning we're doing it for friendship not for profit, we felt it important to make this work available to as many people as possible. Buy it -- it's worth every sou!