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Cylinder of the Month

See also the Cylinders of the Month Archive.

Edison's version of a minstrel show condensed into two minutes: From 1904, the Georgia Minstrels.

Georgia Minstrels

Company	Edison's National Phonograph Company
Cylinder #	8672
Category	Minstrels
Title	Georgia Minstrels
Performed by	S. H. Dudley & Len Spencer
Circa	1904
Announcement	"The Georgia Minstrels, Edison record."

Edison's minstrel series recordings generally followed an amusing and highly compressed minstrel show format:

"Gentlemen, be seated!"
A fanfare
"Introductory overture..."
A quick little ditty
Applause, cheers and whistling
A short comedy routine, usually punctuated with forced belly laughs
A short song, often ending with a chorus
Applause, cheers and whistling

Though the format was the same, Edison's earlier minstrel recordings went by different names, perhaps attempting to reflect minstrelsy across the nation, such as the "Louisiana Minstrels", "Mississippi Minstrels", "Tennessee Minstrels", and even the "California Minstrels". However, as with this selection, the "Georgia Minstrels", in most cases there doesn't seem to be much connection between the title and the presentation.

To hear Georgia Minstrels —

For help playing these sounds, click here.

If you are interested in hearing other Minstrelsy wax cylinder recordings or learning more about minstrel shows, see the minstrel records presented in the table below:

Key Title Category Performed by Circa

11/2005 Alabama Troubadours - Because Minstrels Ancient City Quartette, S. H. Dudley, Billy Heins 1898-1899
06/1998 Five Minutes With the Minstrels Band Voss's First Regiment Band 1891
11/2000 The Imperial Minstrels - Dese Bones Shall Rise Again Minstrels Len Spencer & Steve Porter 1901
03/2007 Three Minutes With the Minstrels Minstrels S. H. Dudley & Arthur Collins 1899

Key	Title	Category	Performed by	Circa
11/2005	Alabama Troubadours - Because	Minstrels	Ancient City Quartette, S. H. Dudley, Billy Heins	1898-1899
06/1998	Five Minutes With the Minstrels	Band	Voss's First Regiment Band	1891
11/2000	The Imperial Minstrels - Dese Bones Shall Rise Again	Minstrels	Len Spencer & Steve Porter	1901
03/2007	Three Minutes With the Minstrels	Minstrels	S. H. Dudley & Arthur Collins	1899

To hear other examples of wax cylinders, see the

Cylinders of the Month Archive

Cylinder Music Shop (Supports the preservation work of tinfoil.com)

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