Though it isn’t the first recording of a U.S. president, it’s the oldest surviving one.
In 1889 , during the first yr of his administration , President Benjamin Harrison gave a talking to regarding the first Pan - American Congress .
As hespoke , his voice was record by an Edison phonograph wax piston chamber , and he became the first president to have his phonation recorded and hold open . It is the oldest known transcription of a U.S. President ’s voice .
On the recording , Harrison says :
Wikimedia CommonsBenjamin Harrison
“ As chairwoman of the United States , I was present at the first Pan - American Congress in Washington , D.C. I fully conceive that with God ’s assistance , our two nation shall continue to live side by side in peace and prosperity . Benjamin Harrison . ”
Though it is the oldest known transcription of a U.S. president it is not the first . Years before Harrison was recorded , Rutherford B. Hayes had a speech of hisrecorded , though the transcription was lost .
Wikimedia CommonsBenjamin Harrison
It may seem hard to imagine give our power to virtually interact with our president on a daily basis , that there was once a time when hearing from the chairperson himself was uncommon .
As latterly as a century ago , most correspondence from the president come from memorandum and letters that were announced to the public by way of newspapers .
When the president did make public declaration , only those in attendance would get to learn his voice . It was n’t until this transcription that most Americans had even heard Harrison verbalise .
Even stranger , until the first presidential photograph , a majority of Americans had only ever seen an creative person ’ depictions of men conduct their nation .
As far as firsts go , Benjamin Harrison ( and Hayes ) were the first to have their voices record . John Quincy Adams was thefirst to have his photo taken(after his presidential term ) , Grover Cleveland was the president to appear on cinema ( as he imprecate in William McKinley ) , and Warren G. Harding was the first to have his voice broadcast on the receiving set .
Next , control out thesefascinating facts about U.S. President of the United States . Then , check out these picture ofpresidents back when they were youthful .
