by Terry Burrows
Celebrate the visual artistry that marks the evolution of sound recording, featuring specially commissioned photography of iconic and rarely seen artefacts from the EMI Archive Trust collection.
Explore the worldwide journey of sound recording and playback, from Scott de Martinville’s 1857 phonautograph to today’s streaming platforms. This captivating volume covers the four key eras of recorded sound—acoustic, electrical, magnetic, and digital—highlighting prototypes, rare classic technologies, and iconic artefacts from the EMI Archives and beyond.
The Art of Sound: A Visual History for Audiophiles takes the reader on a journey through the devices that transformed how we experience music: from wax cylinders to stereophonic gramophones, acoustic horns to magnetic loudspeakers, valve radios to solid-state transistors, wire recorders to magnetic tapes, Walkman's to iPods, and compact discs to digital downloads. This collection features facsimile blueprints highlighting inventive patents, alongside archival catalogues, album covers, industry memorabilia, and vintage press photos that capture the distinctive design and marketing styles of different eras and regions.
Music and audio specialist Terry Burrows leads you through the history of each technological era with clear and captivating writing, featuring brief biographies of influential innovators like Emile Berliner and Thomas Stockham.
Hardback
Book contains 350 pages
Dimensions: 22.1 x 3.3 x 25.4 cm
Shipping to United States of America is currently suspended for the foreseeable future.
The de minimus exemption for orders under $800 going to USA ended on Friday 29 August 2025. Please bear with us while we update our systems to accommodate the new tariffs and duties.
Christmas Delivery Dates
Please be aware that during busy periods, such as Christmas, it may take us longer than normal to respond to enquiries and to dispatch orders.
We recommend placing your order as early as possible to avoid disappointment. These are the recommended last dates for placing your order:
UK delivery – midnight Wednesday 17 December 2025
International delivery – midnight Wednesday 10 December 2025 (delivery times may be affected by customs clearance)
There will be reduced staffing over the Christmas holidays, so any online orders placed after midday Monday 22 December will be dispatched after 5 January 2026.
Our Pickup service is a convenient way for you to order online and collect your purchase in person at the Museum. Simply select the Pickup option at checkout.
The Online Shop team operates between Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00, so please allow time for us to prepare your order for collection or delivery, particularly at busy times of the year. We aim to have your order ready for collection/delivery within 72 hours.
The Museum will be closed on 24, 25, 26 December 2025, and 1 January 2026.
UK 1st Class: delivery 2-5 business days from dispatch
Europe: approximately 3-11 business days from dispatch (customs clearance may cause delays)
Rest of World: approximately 3-11 business days from dispatch (customs clearance may cause delays)
Please be aware that orders to International addresses may be subject to local customs duty or taxes. You will need to pay any additional charges for customs clearance, charges include local VAT and duty based on the value and origin of the product.
There is 5kg weight restriction for UK orders, and a 2kg weight restriction for International orders. If your order exceeds this weight, please contact the Online Shop team so that we can organise a quote for special delivery: onlineshop@ashmus.ox.ac.uk
Further information on our delivery options and returns policy can be found in Shipping & Returns.
The profit from your purchases helps fund the running, collection and care of the Ashmolean Museum, which is free to enter and offers more than 1000 tours, workshops and lectures each year. By shopping with us today, you are helping support everything that we do.