Sound machines

Bell of sound hornBell of sound horn, pressed metal

The horns of phonographs and gramophones were made of different materials. Fewer of the wooden horns have survived because they were more fragile than their metal counterparts. This horn is probably from Europe, most likely from England. The horns were not made for any particular machine — they were interchangeable — and the larger they were, the louder they were. If the sound was too loud, you put a rag or sock in the horn, the origin of the expression “Put a sock in it.”

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