"MY SOUTH POLAR EXPEDITION" Ernest Shackleton Recorded On 1909 Edison Phonograph Cylinder

This is one of the more prized Edison Amberol cylinders in my collection. The great explorer Ernest Shackleton on March 30, 1909 recorded his only cylinder recording entitled "My South Polar Expedition". I searched for years before finding an example of this historically important recording. Examples of the recording have reached in excess of six thousand dollars at auction and of the relative few that were pressed only a fraction of that have survived in good playing condition. Sadly, many of the Edison Amberol wax cylinders are reaching their life expectancy and many today are found cracked or otherwise unplayable. Being a history buff I have the absolute highest respect for Ernest Shackleton as he lead his men on the most perilous of expeditions to reach the South Pole. There's not enough room here to write of my appreciation for the man and his incredible compassion for his men. NOTE OF INTEREST: At the conclusion of the recording there is a pause and then you hear Shackleton saying "All Right?" to the recording engineer. The phonograph is one of my Edison Fireside Phonographs with an oak cygnet horn. I hope you enjoy this rare recording and thanks for stopping in.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 1909
• Sir
• Ernest
• Shackleton
• Edison
• Phonograph
• Wax
• Amberol
• Cylinder
• Record
• My
• South
• Polar
• Expedition
• Rare
• Historic
• Victrola
• Gramophone

[wmrbeach94]

Absolutely incredible! Thanks so much for posting, and sharing such a treasure! I read "South" in 1999 and it truly changed my perspective on life. NOTHING is insurmountable!

[MusicBoxBoy]

@wmrbeach94 You are welcome!  Thank you for the nice comments.

[gdwscott]

Well, this is just absolutely incredible. Thank you so much so much for posting this unique recording of the great man.

[MusicBoxBoy]

@gdwscott  Thank you! It's very gratifying to to see comments like yours. Glad you enjoyed it and stop back again soon.

[19SeanMurphy79]

Thats amazing to hear that great Irishman talk.

102 year old history on a cylinder.

Thank you for posting.

[MusicBoxBoy]

@19SeanMurphy79 Thanks for your visit and for the nice comments. Shackleton was indeed a great Irishman and a great individual by all accounts. He possessed some of the finest qualities any person could hope for including one of the most important: selflessness. Stop back again for a visit anytime.

[transformingArt]

@CosmoPrimo1 There was yet another recording of Shackleton from June 23rd, 1909, that was released by HMV/Victor. It is titled "The Dash for the South Pole". It was originally released as Victor 70014, and later coupled with the Peary recording on the HMV Historical Catalogue (No.2) release, as HMV D377 (The one I have in my possession). As a matter of fact, the HMV version of Shackleton is even available on Napster, I believe. Not to mention, Victor even recorded Dr. Frederick A. Cook!

[CosmoPrimo1]

@transformingArt, are you sure the Victor is of Shackleton and not Robert E. Peary? Peary recorded "The discovery of the North Pole" on Victor 70012 in 1910. I have another Shackleton Edison, "The Dash For The South Pole", as an audio file from the Edison Historic Site, recorded 23 June 1909. His "My South Polar Expedition" was recorded 30 March 1910.

[edisonphonographs]

@TheBARRMAN3 The button on the side of the machine will not change the speed the record revolves but changes the feed screw speed. These machines have a mechanical feed that moves the reproducer across the record and is so timed to keep the stylus in line with the record. Two minute records have 100 grooves per inch and four minute have 200 per inch. This difference makes it necessary to change the feed screw speed to allow the stylus to track the record grooves properly.

[cstapes77]

Thank you very much for posting this.