Phonograph record
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A phonograph record or a vinyl record is a disc-shaped analog sound storage medium with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near the outside edge and ends near the center
Three vinyl records of different formats, from left to right: a 12-inch LP, a 10-inch LP, a 7-inch single
Technicians recording aviator Amy Johnson, Sydney, 1930
Emile Berliner with disc record gramophone
Hungarian Pathé record, 90 to 100 rpm
Shellac
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Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. Chemically, it is mainly composed of aleuritic acid, jalaric acid, shellolic acid, and other natural wa
Phonograph record
…different formats with playing times ranging from a few minutes to around 30 minutes per side. For about half a century, the discs were commonly made from shellac and these records typically ran at a rotational speed of 78 rpm, giving it the nickname "78s" ("seventy-eights"). "Vinyl" records made from polyvinyl…
Shellac in alcohol
Lac tubes created by Kerria lacca
Drawing of the insect Kerria lacca and its shellac tubes, by Harold Maxwell-Lefroy, 1909
A decorative medal made in France in the early 20th century moulded from shellac compound, the same used for phonograph records of the period