Phonetics laboratory 1920s

A clip showing instruments from a phonetics laboratory in the 1920s, from 35mm nitrate footage in the UCL Phonetics Film Collection. A kymograph is shown being used to analyse an utterance of the word "potato". The speaker using the kymograph mask is probably Stephen Jones (1871? - 1941), superintendent of the UCL Phonetics Laboratory from its foundation until 1937. A second short sequence shows a sensitive flame (a gas flame adjusted to so as to respond selectively to sound). The speaker (so far unidentified) appears to be articulating various sibilant fricatives; the flame dips on some, but not others. Vocal-tract diagrams are visible on the wall behind the speaker, showing that the location is a phonetics classroom or laboratory.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• BAAP95