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Édouard-Léon Scott in his own words

Ever since First Sounds evoked the sound of Au Clair de la Lune from his 1860 recording, Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville (1817-1879) has been receiving a lot of attention for his invention of the phonautograph-the first instrument to record airborne sounds capable of being played back. As reliable information about Scott's work is not readily available, First Sounds is publishing his phonautograph-related writings in the original French and in English translation, along with facsimiles of associated manuscripts and diagrams. We hope the ready availability of Scott's ideas, expressed in his own words, will foster a better understanding of his goals, his accomplishments, and his legacy.