Skip to main content
Back to Show
PBS News Hour

Digital Technology Helps Researchers Hear Earliest Recording

The recording is just 78 seconds long, featuring a cornet solo and a man reciting nursery rhymes. Dated back to 1878, experts say it may be the oldest playable recording of an American voice. Ray Suarez talks to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Carl Haber who helped uncover the significance of this tiny piece of tin foil.

Support Provided By
Season
October 7, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
October 7, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
October 6, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
56:45
October 6, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
October 5, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
26:45
October 5, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
October 4, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
26:45
October 4, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
October 3, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
October 3, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
October 2, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
October 2, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
October 1, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
October 1, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
September 30, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
September 30, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
September 29, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
September 29, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
September 28, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
26:45
September 28, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
September 27, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
26:45
September 27, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
September 26, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
September 26, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
Active loading indicator