The Man, the Woman and the Edison Phonograph: Race, History, Technology and Song — Zoom presentation

 

Sunday 21 February at 2pm by Zoom. Bruce Watson will give a presentation about the 1903 recordings of Fanny Cochrane Smith. These are among the earliest Australian sound recordings, the only audio recordings of Tasmanian Language. The story behind them encapsulates significant themes in Australia’s history.

The event is free, but you will need to register by clicking this link:  https://www.trybooking.com/BOHOF. You will receive the Zoom link by email from TryBooking when you have booked.

The Man, the Woman and the Edison Phonograph: Race, History, Technology and Song  —  Bruce Watson

Fanny Cochrane Smith was born in 1834 in the Flinders Island ‘exile’ settlement for Aboriginal Tasmanians. She suffered neglect and abuse, but learnt culture and language. Following Truganini’s death, she was the last person to hold this traditional knowledge. Her 1899 and 1903 wax cylinder recordings are the only recordings of Tasmanian Language made and have been pivotal in reconstructing palawa kani, the revived Tasmanian language. The recordings were added to the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia in its foundation year and added to the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Register in 2017. This multi-media presentation will tell the story behind the photo of Horace Watson recording Fanny Cochrane Smith with surprising twists and turns and reverberations through history. It is a story of history, genocide, technology and the power of song.