Wireway Wire Recorder-Phonograph (1948)

Wireway Wire Recorder-Phonograph 

The Wireway Wire Recorder-Phonograph, released in 1948, was an ambitious three-in-one home entertainment system designed to bridge the gap between traditional vinyl records and the exciting new trend of magnetic recording. Retailing for around $150, this unique unit could play standard records, record audio directly from those records onto a spool of hair-thin stainless steel wire, or capture live household voices through a plug-in microphone. The machine used a specialized mechanical head that moved up and down to ensure the incredibly thin wire was wound evenly across the take-up wheel as it zipped along. While it offered the cutting-edge ability to erase and reuse the wire over and over again, families frequently struggled with the fragile metal line, which was prone to instantly snapping and tangling into a giant "bird's nest" if the machine stopped too quickly. By the early 1950s, wire recorders were rapidly replaced by the easier handling and superior sound of standard plastic magnetic cassette tapes.

Donation: John & Carol Babina Jr.