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The phonographic cylinder operates according to the same principle as the gramophone record: you mount the cylinder on the playback equipment, allowing the needle to move in the grooves. Miniscule height differences are then converted into sound.
Some of the phonographic cylinders consist of wax (hence the name ‘wax cylinder’’) others consist of celluloid. Their vulnerability is their greatest weakness. Cracks, tears or distortions are no exception when it comes to wax cylinders. Do not worry: damages do not mean the content is lost. Specialised labs may be able to read and digitise the content.
… you should always pick up a wax cylinder by putting two fingers through it. Do not do this too long: body warmth makes it break more quickly.
This website is an initiative set up by meemoo, the Flemish Institute for Archives, supported by the Flemish Government and ERDF. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your comments, questions or recommendations. For more information about meemoo, visit www.meemoo.be/en.
The project won an Archive Achievement Award in October 2019, presented by FIAT/IFTA, within the ‘Excellence in Media Preservation’ category.
