Office Dictation Equipment

Enter Office Dictation While office dictation machines had sold poorly in the 19th century, they would be reborn in the 20th. By now, two companies dominated the world market for office dictation. One Columbia Phonograph in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which made the Dictaphone office recorder. Eventually the company itself would be called the Dictaphone Corporation. The other was Thomas A. Edison Industries in West Orange, New Jersey, which made the Ediphone (there were other names and products, too, but I have simplified the story a bit. See my dictation equipment history for a more detailed listing of brand names and models). The United States represented nearly the entire market for dictation equipment--the Europeans never really jumped on the bandwagon. Both the Ediphone and Dictaphone were originally quite simple. A single type of machine served as both the recorder and the reproducer in the 19th century. In the earliest advertising and promotional material for dictation machines, the users of the machines were usually male.

While office dictation machines had sold poorly in the 19th century, they would be reborn in the 20th. By now, two companies dominated the world market for office dictation. One Columbia Phonograph in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which made the Dictaphone office recorder. Eventually the company itself would be called the Dictaphone Corporation. The other was Thomas A. Edison Industries in West Orange, New Jersey, which made the Ediphone (there were other names and products, too, but I have simplified the story a bit.

See my dictation equipment history for a more detailed listing of brand names and models). The United States represented nearly the entire market for dictation equipment--the Europeans never really jumped on the bandwagon. Both the Ediphone and Dictaphone were originally quite simple. A single type of machine served as both the recorder and the reproducer in the 19th century. In the earliest advertising and promotional material for dictation machines, the users of the machines were usually male.