Wax cylinder

Overview
By 1888, the wax cylinder was the nascent industry standard. In 1902, Edison developed a process for molding cylinders that could increase production without sacrificing sound quality; he labeled these 'Gold- Moulded' recordings. Molded cylinders were originally made of material similar to that used for the brown wax cylinders, but later, celluloid and plaster were used. Recordings on cylinders were made at a variety of speeds, between 120 and 160 revolutions per minute (rpm) depending on when they were recorded, what company recorded them, or what machine was used to record a cylinder at home.