For 130 years we have used technology to preserve and replay sounds that would otherwise be lost the moment they occurred. In saving these brief sonic events, we have to some extent replaced personal interaction in "real time" with a one-way communication process that is independent of time. For example, people used to either perform their own music or attend a public performance. Now we are more likely to listen to records than gather around the piano or go to a concert. Music, and to a lesser extent the spoken word, has become a product we consume, not an activity we share. Thanks to the mass production of records and players, people now have access to more diverse styles and more expertly performed music than ever before. Ironically, few of us can now sing the songs our grandparents sang.

The Museum's sound collection consists of almost 1000 artifacts, including microphones, loudspeakers, record media, and various components and accessories. This collection profile focuses on our recorders and players, which number about 360 machines. The profile is divided into four sections according to the technical means by which recordings have been made and played. Numbers in brackets are the accession numbers of artifacts held by the Museum.

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