Emile Berliner

Emile Berliner

German-American inventor and businessman

Emile Berliner (born Emil Berliner; May 20, 1851 – August 3, 1929) was a German-American inventor and businessman best known for his development of the gramophone and the microphone. His innovations significantly impacted the fields of sound recording and telecommunications.

Early Life

Emile Berliner was born in Hanover, in the Kingdom of Hanover (now part of Germany). He emigrated to the United States in 1870 to avoid conscription into the Franco-Prussian War. Berliner initially worked in various jobs, including as a clerk and a cleaner, while studying physics at the Cooper Union in New York City.

Inventions

Microphone

In 1877, Berliner invented an improved version of the microphone, which he called the "loose-contact transmitter." This invention was crucial for the development of the telephone and was later acquired by Alexander Graham Bell's Bell Telephone Company.

Gramophone

Berliner is perhaps best known for his invention of the gramophone in 1887. Unlike Thomas Edison's phonograph, which used cylinders to record sound, Berliner's gramophone used flat discs. This innovation made mass production of sound recordings feasible and laid the foundation for the modern record industry.

Business Ventures

In 1895, Berliner founded the United States Gramophone Company to produce and market his gramophone and records. He also established the Berliner Gramophone Company in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Later Life and Legacy

Berliner continued to innovate throughout his life, contributing to the development of the helicopter and other technologies. He passed away in Washington, D.C. in 1929. His legacy lives on through his contributions to the fields of sound recording and telecommunications.

See Also

• Alexander Graham Bell
• Thomas Edison
• Phonograph
• Sound recording and reproduction
• History of sound recording