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The UCSB Library invites you to discover and listen to its online archive of cylinder recordings; donate to help the collection grow; and learn about how these sounds and songs create an audio history of American culture.

Cylinder of the day

“Die Welt ist wie ein Huhnerstall /” performed by Gustav Schönwald.

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News

April 12, 2024: Revised editions of two important books documenting Edison cylinder recordings have been published by UCSB’s American Discography Project.

April 7, 2022 The UCSB Library launches the Early Recordings Initiative (ERI) aimed at preserving our earliest recorded heritage.

January 1, 2022 Thousands of cylinder recordings made before January 1, 1923 enter the public domain. UCSB Cylinder Audio Archive transfers now open to free open use for any purpose.

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Did You Know?

Some of the rarest of all cylinders are "pink" Lambert cylinders, early celluloid cylinders made between 1900 and 1906.