Pictured above is an Edison Amberola model 30 phonograph that was recently donated to the Pleasant Prairie Historical Society by Lewis and Marie Lindquest. The Lindquest's acquired the phonograph from Ken Nelson who grew up listening to the phonograph with his family.

The Edison Amberola phonographs, like the one pictured, were produced from 1909 to 1929. Early editions of the Edison phonograph employed a wax record that played for a duration of two minutes. Later the Amberola record was introduced that extended the playing time from two to four minutes.

Edison phonographs play vertically cut records with a stylus that bobs up and down along grooves cut into the record causing vibrations, which were amplified by the horn to create sound. The Amberola phonographs have internal horns as opposed to external ones featured in earlier versions of the phonograph.

There are two separate series of Amberola machines. The first was designated with Roman numerals, Amberolas I through X. The second series were Amberolas 30, 50, and 75. The model numbers referred to their original price in dollars. The phonograph pictured here is a model 30, which was a common household machine. Edison called his machine a phonograph meaning "sound-writer."

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