I love gramophones and victrolas. I think they’re the most beautiful objects the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries produced.

I also think pictures of old workshops are very interesting so finding these pictures really was a delight!

The factory was owned by Emile Berliner (1851 – 1929). Born in Germany, Berliner was an inventor and businessman, best known for inventing the flat disc record and the gramophone. The hard rubber records were easy to create and an upgrade from earlier phonographs. The Berliner Gram-o-phone Company in 1895 later became the Victor Talking Machine Company.

All photos are from the Library of Congress.